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“Half the garrison? What do you mean you’ve lost half the garrison?!”
Jimin didn’t react to the King’s outburst, used to his father’s temper. He did feel some sympathy for the poor general on the other side of the war table. The man was still wearing his teared uniform and a bloody sword at his side, giving a poor look of what the King’s armies looked like at the moment.
“Your Majesty,” the general tried again, “My garrison isn’t the only one who had to flee. The Death Fairy came at night, we just couldn’t…”
“Again with this ‘Death Fairy’!” the King bellowed. “Don’t blame your incompetency on a single leprechaun, you had eighty soldiers in that camp.”
No one in the war room corrected the King on his mistake, less of all the general, pale and on the verge of fainting.
Jimin couldn’t always tell whether his father was being insulting towards the enchanted people, or if he didn’t know any better. Leprechauns had about as much in common with fairies than humans had with trolls. Though, after twenty years of war against them, the King was more likely insulting them than mixing them up.
“We’ve made good progress in the Forest,” the King continued. “But we’re nowhere close to their nest. We can’t stop fighting just because one of them is a little stronger.”
The general winced. “This one has a sword.”
“Good for him, so do every single one of our soldiers!”
“What I mean, your Majesty, is that they never really fight back. They evade us, they make traps… But this one – ”
“Excuses! Are you here to give me solutions or to beg for your own life?”
Jimin wondered what sort of fairy could bring down a garrison like this.
He’d rather think about that. Otherwise, he’d have to truly look at the man in front of him, white and bent in half, humiliated in front of the most powerful man in the Park kingdom.
Better him than Jimin.
“Father.”
Part of the room let out a sigh of relief.
Sitting on either side of their father, Jimin and Wonshik couldn’t have looked more different. While Wonshik looked like a younger version of the King, dark haired and dressed like a soldier, Jimin was the spitting image of the late Queen, blonde and wearing the royal white of their family.
The differences weren’t simply physical. One was a fighter, the one a planner. One was the prodigious son. The other preferred to keep his mouth shut, lest he end up like the poor general.
Jimin didn’t like Wonshik – and the feeling was mutual – but he was probably the only person in the room able to calm their father.
“We can use this,” Wonshik said. “Someone so dangerous in the Forest could be a good reason to strengthen our alliance with the Kwon.”
Jimin clenched his jaw. His brother was also the best at redirecting their father’s anger for his own benefits.
And Jimin was usually the first to take the fall.
“The Kim are closer,” he interfered, knowing where this was going. “And the Kwon are an agricultural kingdom. They couldn’t send us enough men.”
“The Kim have their own battles with the enchanted,” Wonshik countered with his usual look of boredom. “And we all know the Kwon would be willing to offer us support in exchange of a long-lasting alliance.”
Jimin closed his fists tightly under the table and tried to keep his composure.
He wouldn’t let himself be sold without a fight.
“Father has always said that we should marry in order of age,” he reminded him.
He was grasping at straws.
“And Father knows the importance of killing the Death Fairy, when he’s been decimating our troops for months. I’ve seen him in battle, briefly. We’re lucky they’re not all like him. The Kwon could help, and we shouldn’t let our own desires stir us away from victory.”
Jimin held back a curse. This particular fight had been brewing for months. It was easier to distract his father while Wonshik was away at war but here, it was hard to make himself heard.
“Father – ”
“Father is here and he’s not about to hear you two fight again!” the King interrupted them.
He paused, and Jimin’s chest filled with dread. This war had always been about balance. A part of the forest gained here, a camp lost there… Humans against enchanted was all Jimin had ever known, and he couldn’t deny that there was something comforting in the idea that the war would never go further than this.
Things had changed, however, since the arrival of the ‘Death Fairy’. Their spies hadn’t determined yet if they were a new fairy that had gained extraordinary powers, or a new kind of enchanted entirely, but the result was the same. The balance had tilted, and not in favor of the Humans.
The room stayed silent while the King was in thoughts. They could all see the war table, with its giant map of the human territories and the forest of the enchanted. They could all see the pawns representing their camps pushed down, marking another defeat.
“The Kwon emissary keeps biting my ear off about Jimin marrying their young princess,” the King finally mumbled. “But The Kim would have been better.”
“Kwon men aren’t soldiers,” Wonshik agreed, “But they have plenty of farmers to be trained.”
“Cannon fodder,” Jimin spat.
“First lines, for the safety of our own soldiers,” Wonshik corrected.
“We wouldn’t have to lose so many,” the King half nodded.
Unlike the balance between Humans and enchanted, the King’s favors had always leaned a certain way.
“Wonshik isn’t even married yet,” Jimin hastily said. He was losing his own war, his fate about to be decided in front of the entire war council.
“Your mom was attached to the idea, and I tried to uphold the tradition,” the King admitted, and Jimin’s stomach dropped. “But I need your brother on the battlefield. He won’t be marrying soon, and we need the help now.”
There was so much Jimin could have said. He could have asked, again, why Wonshik had been given his first command at eighteen, while Jimin had passed his twenty-third birthday and was still training in the castle’s courtyard.
Why the King could look at Wonshik with pride, but never Jimin.
And most of all, how could he so easily sell his son to the highest bidder?
“I don’t want to get married to someone I’ve never met,” Jimin said, knowing that he wouldn’t be heard.
He kept his head high nonetheless. His father could take all of his dignity.
He would have done so much for the man. He would have fought, even if he hated the war. He would have married a princess, even when he knew he could never love any woman. He would have done anything for some recognition.
“Don’t be difficult,” the King sighed.
That, more than any scream or order, was what hurt Jimin the most.
“You’ll meet the girl soon enough. Think about what this will mean for our Kingdom and our family.”
Jimin hid his shaky hands behind his back. After years of being talked over during meetings and being ignored during official events, he had promised himself never to cry in front of other people. His father already thought him weak enough.
Jimin asked, voice tight, “Do I have any say in the matter?”
His father sighed again, as if he were the one being inconvenienced. “You make it sound so terrible. You don’t even like living in the White Palace. Think of it as a fresh start.”
Jimin rose from his seat and formally bowed to his father.
“I understand. I’ll go back to my chambers and prepare for the journey.”
Jimin couldn't bear another disappointed sigh and left the table immediately. He ignored Wonshik, the generals and left the room without a look behind.
No one bothered him on his way down the King’s tower. His father wasn’t wrong when he’d said that Jimin didn’t like living in the White Palace, he hated the place. But how could he feel any other way, when his father’s disdain towards him gave permission to the court to treat him the same?
It didn’t mean that Jimin wanted to leave his home.
He crossed the palace alone and everyone, from noble to servant, avoided his eyes. News of his engagement and departure would travel fast, and he wasn’t interested in the gossip. If he truly were to leave, there was a place he wanted to visit one last time.
Thankfully, the east wing of the palace was out of bounds for most people, and Jimin had no problem opening the white door with the small key he wore around his neck.
The room had lost his mother’s scent a long time ago. She had died giving birth, and Jimin had only known her for six years, but he could still remember the flowery smell that never left her.
He sat on the sofa next to the empty fireplace and let his head fall in his hands. No one would see his weakness here, but the tears didn’t fall. There was nothing he could have said, nothing he could have done, and the powerlessness of it all made him feel… empty.
Knocks on the door made him instinctively straighten his back, proper once again. After a moment, he slumped again. Only one person would dare to enter this forbidden room, and know to find him here.
Jimin took a deep breath.
“You can come in.”
He tried to keep a straight face, to keep the growing panic under control, but Taehyung took one look at him and sighed.
“Oh, Jimin…”
With a few steps, Taehyung was sitting next to him, wrapping an arm around him and putting his head on Jimin’s shoulder.
“You listened to the meeting?”
“Of course. Father can’t keep me out of the war room, even if he tries.”
Not being eighteen, Taehyung wasn’t allowed to attend. That had never stopped him from listening from the outside, or even hiding in the guise of a servant.
“He can’t make you leave, he - ”
“Of course he can,” Jimin interrupted him, before closing his mouth. He wasn’t angry with Taehyung, and he didn’t want to release his frustration on his younger brother. On the only person he loved in this entire place. On the only one who was actually going to miss him.
“Fight back,” Taehyung urged him. “Why should you be the one to leave? Make the Kwon princess come to us!”
It was easy for him to say. Out of his three sons, the King loved Taehyung the most. He was the last child the Queen had given him before her death. Taehyung looked like the perfect alliance of his parents, tall and strong as a Park, but still beautiful like their mother had been.
Taehyung could have made their father change his mind, if it had been his own marriage.
“You know he wants me out of here,” Jimin sighed.
“Well, I don’t!” Taehyung exclaimed. “I’ll talk to him.”
“We’re losing the war, Taehyung. For the first time ever, we’re actually losing. He’s not going to change his mind.”
“And what happens to you?” Taehyung breathed out. “You remember the Kwon court from our last visit. You’ll never love their princess. And that King…”
They both stayed silent. To keep the relationships between kingdoms open, Jimin and Taehyung travelled at least once a year to meet the other Kings. Jimin liked these months spent outside the Palace, with Taehyung as his only company, but Taehyung was right. Out of all their neighbors, the Kwon King was the one they liked the least, as stubborn as their Father, and perhaps the only one who hated the enchanted more than him.
Taehyung’s grip on his shoulder tightened.
“You could escape.”
Jimin reeled back. “Excuse me? And betray the kingdom?”
“You’re not the only Prince. The kingdom will be fine. I’m barely even needed.”
Jimin’s mouth was open. Taehyung was talking madness, but he looked serious.
“And go where?” Jimin said, as if it even mattered. It wasn’t possible. “Everyone would recognize me.”
“There has to be some places where people don’t remember the Queen.”
“Father made sure to place portraits of her all around the Kingdom. Even if I aimed for another kingdom, I would be arrested within days.”
“I don’t know,” Taehyung huffed. “But I know that if you leave, I’ll never have my brother back.”
Jimin closed his eyes and forced himself to slowly breathe. Even in front of Taehyung – perhaps especially in front of him – he couldn’t show any weakness.
“You’ll always have me,” he whispered, but it was hard to lie when his throat felt so tight. “I can endure it.”
Taehyung sighed, rubbing his cheek against his shoulder. “You shouldn’t have to. I’ll talk to Father, but… Please, think about what I’ve said. I’d feel happier knowing that you’ve escaped than seeing you trapped in this marriage.”
Jimin hugged him, hiding the wetness of his eyes in Taehyung’s shirt.
“I’ll think about it,” he said, just because he could never refuse his brother anything.
They stayed in their mother’s room a while longer. First in silence, then with Taehyung quietly talking about his own day. Jimin welcomed the distraction and for a moment, almost forgot that this would be the last time they would ever get to do this.
An hour later, Taehyung rose from the sofa, with a confident smile Jimin truly wanted to believe in.
“I’d better go. He’s always more amenable right after lunch.”
“Sure,” Jimin nodded. He thought he was managing to hide his true feelings, but Taehyung gave him a sad smile.
“Don’t lose hope. Even if I fail. Please, don’t lose hope.”
His eyes turned towards their mother’s bed, and Jimin jerked back when he saw the white flower sitting on the pillow.
There were no flowers inside the White Palace, nor in its vicinity. Flowers were the mark of the enchanted. At least that was what the King had declared, when he’d declared war. Gnomes lived in them, and giants used flower rings for their dark magic, he had said, and no one had tried to correct him, because he had been grieving the Queen, and that the King was a scary man. He had made the servants remove every bouquet from the palace, and the gardeners burn what they had taken years to grow.
Even then, nature had always found a way back.
And right now, it was staring at them from their mother’s bed.
“Don’t lose hope,” Taehyung repeated, almost in awe. “Promise me.”
Jimin couldn’t look away from the flower. One of the maids must have left it here. Some of them had served the Queen when she’d been alive, and they remembered her love for them.
Jimin forced his eyes away. Taehyung was still waiting for a reply.
“I promise.”
Taehyung left, and Jimin didn’t stay long after.
He dared another look at the flower. With the sunlight coming from the large window, the white petals almost looked like they were glowing.
Jimin frowned, suddenly annoyed. Who would have dared disobey his father’s orders? Flowers weren’t allowed in the Palace, and placing one here had been a dangerous, and stupid, risk.
He walked out the door without a look behind. Whatever happened next, he had said his goodbyes.
He went back to his rooms and ordered his servant to leave for the rest of the day. And then, he got to work. He had packed his belongings enough times not to need anyone. Official costumes for ceremonies, the white cape of his family, his longsword, so weighted by gems that it was unusable…
He put it all in suitcases, all of his life fitting in five of them. It was so ridiculous that he tried to pack a sixth suitcase with everything he could find in his room. Surely, his life amounted to more than that.
Time passed in a blur, and he didn’t even realize that the wind had picked up until it made one of his windows blow open. It startled him so much that he let what he’d been holding fall on the floor.
He looked up, in a daze. The sky was darker than he had anticipated. Had he truly spent the entire afternoon packing? He quickly closed the window, making sure that it was secured.
Turning back to his room, he paused. His dagger was on the floor. It was what he actually preferred fighting with, when his instructors didn’t force him to use the longsword. He hadn’t even realized that he had been holding it when the window had been thrown open.
The sense of dread intensified when he saw the backpack on his bed.
Inside, he had put travel clothes, warm and utilitarian, a map he had copied from the one in the war room, and a hefty sum of gold. Had he truly prepared this? How could he not remember it? He’d been so immersed in the process, perhaps Taehyung’s words about hope had touched him more than he wanted to admit.
He put a hand over his chest, uncomfortable. Hope was dangerous.
He hid the backpack under his bed but kept the dagger at his belt, under his shirt. Then, he went out and told the first servant he met that he would be taking his dinner in his room. The servant nodded and left, but he caught her pitying stare.
When he came back to his room, the storm looked even worse than before. Jimin closed the curtains and forced himself to remain calm. Still no word from Taehyung.
It didn’t stop him from jumping to his feet when someone knocked at the door. It was hard to hide his disappointment when he was only faced with a servant bringing him a tray, but his eyes fell on the slight bump of the napkin and he quickly told the servant that he was not to be disturbed for the rest of the night.
He went directly to his bed and placed the tray there, opening the napkin, heart in his throat.
It was the white flower from their mother’s room.
He immediately knew the message behind it. If Taehyung had been successful, he would have come himself to deliver the news.
This flower was his way of saying ‘Don’t lose hope’ again, but it was fittingly wilted.
So, Jimin would be sold.
Perhaps not tomorrow, but soon. There would be a ceremony, just so Jimin could say goodbye to every noble who hated him, and swear fealty to his ‘proud’ father one last time.
The windows rattled, wind howling outside.
Jimin put the flower on top of the closest suitcase and thought about the backpack under his bed.
Could he do it? Could he abandon his father? His family?
He’d never cared about the war. He didn’t care about alliances. They could barely take care of their own people, why waste so much time and resources on the enchanted?
On a whim, Jimin went to his window again, the one leading to the balcony, and opened it wide. For a second, he felt a feral joy at seeing the elements so wildly unchained, reflecting the rage that he couldn’t let out.
Dark clouds quickly moved, a cold rain violently swept by strong winds…
And on the horizon, the forest.
Something deep stirred in Jimin’s chest. For the briefest moment, he wondered what would happen if he were to step on the balcony, and…
Lightning struck. Miles away, but loud enough that Jimin stumbled back into his room, leaving the window open. The howling wind filled the entire place, screaming in Jimin’s stead.
He took out the backpack, and contemplated the dagger.
‘Don’t lose hope’, his brother had said. And Jimin had promised.
He didn’t know how long he stayed there, dagger in hand, in the middle of his own storm.
Night fell, and the clouds moved away to let the moon shine, though the wind didn’t let out. Jimin imagined what roads he could take. What villages he could hide in.
Until a shadow hid the moon for a moment. It was too quick to be a cloud, and Jimin gripped his dagger tighter.
There was someone outside.
Another lightning, much closer this time, blinding. When Jimin could see again, the shadow was on the balcony.
And it had wings.
He took a step back, suddenly regretted not lighting a fire. He couldn’t see clearly, but the figure was close enough that Jimin didn’t know if he could make it out of the room in time.
“Who are you?” he cried out over the wind.
He didn’t think he sounded scared. No, the only thing he’d been able to feel since the King had taken his decision was anger. Pure, unadulterated rage.
The shadow didn’t reply, and Jimin put himself in a fighting stance.
“Who are you?” he repeated, ready to fight if it came to that.
He’d never fought an enchanted before. None had been stupid enough to come to the White Palace on its own. Unless, of course, the shadow wasn’t alone.
The creature suddenly moved, throwing something into the fireplace. A fire suddenly lit up, so bright that Jimin winced.
It took him a few seconds to get accustomed, still ready to defend himself.
But the man in front of him was tall and strong, his wings so impressive that Jimin’s heart missed a beat. What chances could he possibly have against that?
But he was also… curious. The few enchanted he had seen had been prisoners of war, and they’d never look as powerful as this one.
Most curious of all, this man himself, this fairy, was looking at Jimin as if he were the one unable to comprehend the situation.
“Who are you?”
It was the fairy who had said it this time.
Jimin lowered his dagger, feeling dizzy. He tried to get a hold of himself but he was breathing too fast. He put a hand over his chest and glared at the creature.
“What are you doing to me? What kind of magic is this?”
“I’m not doing anything.” The man’s voice was calm, too calm, when Jimin was trying to make the world stop turning around him. “And I asked who you were.”
Jimin paused, trying to make sense of things. “How can you be here and not know who I am?”
“I came in because the window was open. My name is Jungkook.”
Jimin wondered if the name should mean something to him. They never bothered to give names to the enchanted in the war room.
“And you’re a fairy?”
The man, Jungkook, raised an eyebrow, and his wings took up more space, as if he were stretching them.
“What gave it away?”
Jimin took a step back. Gods, and he had flown right inside the palace. How had he passed the soldiers outside?
“But you don’t know who I am?”
The fairy didn’t seem amused by Jimin’s obvious questions. Still, his eyes never faltered, always on him.
“I don’t ask questions that I already know the answer to.”
Jimin nodded. The dizziness had passed, but he was still at a loss about what to do.
Before he could answer, the fairy added, “I suppose you’re pretty high-ranking. Your rooms are nice.”
Jimin almost barked a laugh. How could any of this be real? Minutes before, he’d been thinking about betraying his kingdom, and now…
“I am the Prince.”
He couldn’t tell why he’d said it. Why he would reveal himself to the enemy.
Especially when Jungkook’s reaction was to bare his teeth. For a second, this made him look less human, but Jimin couldn’t find it in himself to fear it.
“You’re not,” the fairy spat. “I met your King’s son. You’re not him.”
“There are three of us. The one you met had to be my older brother. The heir.”
Jungkook shook his head. “No. That’s not possible.”
Jimin opened and closed his mouth, unable to understand. At least they both looked lost now.
“I am Park Jimin, second Prince of the Park Kingdom, son of the King. I don't know what you want, or who you are…”
“I’m Jungkook.”
“You said that already,” Jimin gritted through his teeth, “Is that supposed to mean anything?”
Jungkook blinked. “Of course not. But you’re not… what I expected,” he said, as if Jimin were the puzzling one.
“And what were you expecting me to be?” Anger was coming back. “Our people are at a war, and you’re telling me that you’re not here to kill me?”
“Kill you?”
He had dangerously paled.
“Or kidnap me?” Jimin exclaimed, frustrated. “I don’t know! Whatever you need to do to make my father concede.”
Jungkook’s expression suddenly shifted, and Jimin wanted to step back again.
“Would he concede?”
Jimin clenched his jaw, refusing to say the truth to the enemy.
No, his father wouldn’t. Not for him.
For the first time, Jungkook looked away from him, his eyes landing on the portrait above the fireplace.
It was a family portrait, made when Jimin had been three years old. Wonshik was standing proudly by their father’s side, even then looking exactly like him, and Jimin, sitting on his mother’s lap, while she was smiling at him.
Jimin’s skin crawled when Jungkook frowned, his eyes moving back and forth between Jimin and the royal portrait.
Thunder was louder now that the window was open but Jimin couldn’t care less, when that fairy looked like he was figuring things out.
When he looked like every other nobleman examining Jimin next to his father.
Jimin didn’t want to hear what he was going to say.
Jungkook said it anyway.
“You’re not the King’s son.”
Jimin raised his dagger again.
“Get out of here.”
Windows rattled, the wind stronger than ever, rustling even Jungkook’s wings.
The fairy raised his arms, but Jimin didn’t want to hear any more of this.
Wonshik had to know. Why would he hate Jimin so much otherwise? And Taehyung had this way of looking at him that had never sat right with Jimin. The court mostly suspected.
The King… He had never said anything, but the way he treated Jimin spoke for itself.
Jimin bit his lower lip so hard it hurt. He knew he looked like his mother. Only like her, and it would have been fine, if not for all the small things that he had tried to keep secret all of his life.
“I was on a patrol nearby,” Jungkook said, the wind getting louder again. “And I saw the storm.”
“I don’t care. Get out!”
“You have no control over yourself!”
Jimin took a step closer, ready to fight. Fairy or not, Jimin had trained his entire life. With enough speed, he could…
“If you don’t learn to control your powers, they’ll destroy you!”
The wind suddenly fell, leaving a jarring silence in its place.
Jungkook looked even more shocked than Jimin.
“You’ve never done something like this before.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Your powers have just awakened.”
This was a nightmare. Jimin’s actual nightmare. The one where this thing he’d always pushed down had broken free at the worst possible moment.
Jungkook took his stunned silence for an agreement.
“What made you lose control?”
He made it sound so easy, so… normal. As if what had happened didn’t make Jimin an enemy in his own house.
“That wasn’t me.”
Jungkook scoffed. “Of course not. You’re lucky I saw that, you don’t know how to make it stop.”
“I don’t know what – ”
“Look behind you.”
But Jimin couldn’t look away from the fairy in front of him.
Jungkook seemed to realize it, and pointedly looked behind Jimin with a raised eyebrow.
“What’s supposed to be underneath all this?”
Without fully turning away, Jimin glanced behind, and froze.
The white flower, the one from his mother’s room and that he had put over his suitcases… It had grown.
More flowers had sprouted, and leaves covered the entire pile. And the first flower, the one that had looked completely wilted, was glowing. It was a soft glow, especially with the fire burning bright, but it was undeniably there.
Jimin blinked away the tears. He couldn’t show weakness now.
“Can you burn it?” he asked around a lump in his throat.
Jungkook’s angry look was enough of an answer.
Jimin needed to get rid of the flowers. He could throw them in the fireplace. He could still be hidden, still be kept a secret.
“Is this really the first time you used your power?”
Jungkook’s voice made it even harder. It was softer, almost gentle, as if the fairy was finally realizing how terrifying this was for Jimin.
“Do you think my father would have kept me by his side if I’d ever used magic?”
He heard his own words and winced. His father was sending him away. Had never wanted him in the forest, had destroyed any trace of nature inside and around the castle. And yet, it had always found a way back.
“If your King didn’t know before, he’ll know now. That storm you created only covered your wing of the castle.”
Jimin closed his eyes. So, that was it. The court would delight at their theories being proven right. Everyone would see him as the enemy, and his father – his King – what would he do with him?
“You need to breathe.”
Jimin opened his eyes, and didn’t even flinch when he saw that Jungkook had moved closer.
His dagger fell on the floor.
“What now?” he whispered to himself, lost.
Jungkook knelt in front of him, retrieving the dagger. Even in this position, his wings were taller than Jimin.
“First, you need to leave the castle,” he answered, as if he’d been the one spoken to. “The Humans will hunt you down.”
His first thought was that he was a human.
Wasn’t he?
He looked at the giant pile of flowered suitcases.
“I was supposed to leave. I packed everything.”
It was never going to happen now, but he was grasping at what semblance of normalcy he could find.
“You were leaving?” Jungkook frowned. “Where to?”
“My father is marrying me to the Kwon,” he said, without an ounce of emotion.
Jungkook’s eyes narrowed. “Not anymore, he’s not.”
Jimin should have been angry at him. He should have yelled, called the guards or fought back.
He didn’t want to.
He wasn’t ready to accept it yet, what Jungkook was saying, but he didn’t want to fight anymore.
Jungkook stood up again, and handed the dagger back to him.
Jimin knew what the fairy was going to say before he even said it.
“Come with me.”
‘You could escape.’ That was what Taehyung had said.
"What's holding you back?" Jungkook insisted, pushing the dagger against his chest.
Jimin wanted to laugh hysterically.
What was holding him back? His new marriage? A family that hated him, save for his younger brother.
Half-brother, a mean voice whispered in his head and that perhaps hurt the most, because he loved Taehyung more than anyone else in the entire world.
And Taehyung had told him to go. To escape. To not lose hope.
“This is a nightmare,” he murmured.
Jungkook’s somber expression didn’t stop his voice from staying calm.
“Then wake up. You can choose to come with me. I’ll take you to our leaders. They’ll be able to help.”
“Or they’ll use me against my father.”
“We take care of our own,” Jungkook said, matter of fact.
And it was terrifying. The idea that Jimin could belong to something else. That he wouldn’t be used? He didn’t want to hope, but part of him wanted to trust Jungkook, and Taehyung had made him promise.
Jimin took his dagger back.
“What else do I have to lose?” he said, self-deprecating.
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “And what more could you gain?”
Jimin shook his head. He wanted out of here. Out of the castle, out of his father’s range.
“I’ll go with you.”
Jungkook looked at the suitcases. “You won’t be able to bring those. But we’ll provide food and clothes.”
As if it mattered. Jimin took the backpack from under the bed. Had he known, when he’d unconsciously made it? That would be a question for later. He put it on his back and placed his dagger in its holster.
“How do we get to your place? I can leave the palace without being seen and grab a horse from the stables.”
“What?” Jungkook’s frown deepened. “You’re not getting there on horse. It would take us weeks.”
“Then – ” Jimin paused.
Jungkook couldn’t possibly mean… But the fairy was already walking towards the open window. The storm had entirely vanished, leaving only the almost full moon.
He felt like a fool when he blurted out, “I can’t fly.”
For the first time, Jungkook’s lips curved into a small smile. “Really? Who would have thought.”
He stepped outside, and Jimin first thought that with his dark hair, wings and clothes, he could have certainly disappeared into the night.
As if in a dream, Jimin followed him. He couldn’t look away from Jungkook, and his mouth fell open when the fairy spread his wings to their full size. They were almost as large as the entire balcony and shone under the moonlight.
Jungkook turned around, carefully tucking a wing to avoid hitting Jimin. His expression faltered for a second when he noticed Jimin’s awe, and he looked up at the sky. “It will be a good night for flying. Are you scared of heights?”
Jimin shook his head.
“Me and my brother like to climb to the roof in the summer.”
It had to be a dream, all of it.
Once again, a fleeting smile made its way to Jungkook’s mouth. “This will be a bit different. Come here.”
He then turned his back to him, and went down to one knee.
Jimin’s next exhale was definitely too loud. It was surreal, his feet moving almost of their own volition until he was hovering over Jungkook’s back. He wanted, needed, to touch the wings.
“I don’t…” He cleared his throat. “What do I do?”
He was going to touch the wings, seeing how they were coming from the middle of Jungkook’s back, and the last thing he wanted was to damage them.
“You could start by taking a deep breath. You won’t like flying if there’s too much wind.”
Jimin hadn’t even realized that the wind had picked up again.
He couldn’t believe that he was the one making it happen.
“Sorry…” He muttered, glad that Jungkook was turning his back to him, and took a few deep breaths.
“I can’t believe you weren’t aware of your powers.” Jungkook said, partially turning his head to look at him.
Jimin looked away. “It never happened before. I would have noticed.”
Jungkook didn’t push it. “Just hold onto me, I won’t let you fall.”
Jimin was used to embarrassment. Whenever he had to ignore the court’s whispers, when Wonshik made jabs at him… But having to lean down and wrap his arms around Jungkook’s neck felt more mortifying than anything. He could feel the base of Jungkook’s wings against his chest and stomach, and the sound he made when Jungkook stood up would have been enough to make him run back to his room, if the fairy hadn’t secured his legs by wrapping them around his waist.
This time, Jimin did notice the wind picking up.
“Just… Give me some time to adjust. Please.”
There was no turning back, not when his feet weren’t touching the ground anymore. He was a Prince. Even if the King wasn’t his father, his mother had still been the Queen, and he was turning his back to his duty. He could have tried to justify it, to tell himself that he was going to help the relations between the humans and the enchanted, but he wasn’t.
He was leaving because he knew, deep down, that the life the King had chosen for him would have killed him. That he couldn’t have borne a loveless marriage of convenience, in a place where no one would know him.
He was leaving because, against all odds, something in him trusted the fairy carrying him.
Jungkook waited in silence, and it took every ounce of Jimin’s restraint to make the wind fall again.
“I’m…”
“Don’t apologize,” Jungkook stopped him. “I’m not sure I would have had the strength to do what you’re doing.”
Jimin wouldn’t have called it ‘strength’, but he didn’t protest. He wished he could have seen Jungkook’s face, but the fairy was decidedly looking forward.
“Are you ready?” Jungkook asked. “We’ll be flying all night, but don’t worry about falling asleep, you won't fall.”
Stupidly, Jimin wanted to let his head fall against the back of Jungkook’s neck.
“We can go,” he said.
And nothing could have prepared him for the feeling of taking off. For Jungkook’s wings beating so powerful it threw them upwards. For his heart dropping in his stomach when Jungkook pushed further up, bringing them higher than the Palace itself in just a few seconds.
For his tears running down his cheeks when they stabilized in the air, holding Jungkook perhaps a little too tight. He wanted to excuse this moment of weakness by saying that the wind made him tear up but that wasn’t true, and Jungkook wasn’t looking at him anyway.
There was something so right about flying, even though he had no wings and could only trust Jungkook to keep him safe. With the trees under them and the moon above, Jimin stopped holding his head up and let it fall against Jungkook’s shoulder.
He kept his eyes open, watching the world fly by in wonder. He had studied the maps, knew the name of the villages they flew over, and couldn’t believe just how tiny they looked from above. He also couldn’t stop looking at Jungkook’s wings. They didn’t move as often as he had expected, letting the wind do most of the work.
Strangely, he wasn’t scared. Jungkook’s hands were holding his thighs, and his back was broad enough that Jimin didn’t fear slipping inadvertently. They didn’t speak at all, and Jimin was grateful for it. He wasn’t sure he could have said anything without tearing up again, not when it felt so good to be in the sky.
He couldn’t tell the passage of time. The moon moved its course, and Jungkook seemed to be flying in a straight line. They were purely in enchanted territory now, and no signs of villages – or even basecamps – to help Jimin situate himself.
Not only was Jungkook’s flight smooth, he was also warm.
It should have been a surprise that Jimin found himself drifting off, but it seemed that he had been made to fly, even if he had no wings, and he only felt relief when sleep took over.
He was, however, absolutely shocked when he opened his eyes again.
The day had come up, sun over the horizon and blue sky over his head. It was a beautiful morning, and he hadn’t woken up once.
Jungkook must have sensed his awakening, turning his head to look towards him.
“You didn’t even last an hour, I’m impressed.”
Jimin wasn’t sure that ‘You fly comfortably’ would have been taken as a compliment, but it was the truth.
“I hope it didn’t hinder your flight,” he said instead.
He caught a smile before Jungkook faced forward again.
“I could have flown faster, but we didn’t lose much time. It’s easy to fly when there’s no magical wind to catch you off guard.”
Jimin deserved the jab, but couldn’t help a retort. “You’ll notice that the sky is clear.”
“I know. I would have expected more screaming from someone like you.”
“Do you often find yourself with humans on your back?”
Jungkook snorted. “No, I do not. You’re not human though.”
“I am. It’s the only way I’ve been raised.”
Jungkook didn’t reply, but Jimin wasn’t going to back down. Whatever he learned about himself in the forest, it wouldn’t change the fact that he was the prince of a human kingdom.
They flew in silence again, and Jimin scanned the horizon to see where they could possibly be. There was no sea or ocean in sight, so they had to be in the middle of the continent. They flew over several lakes, but none large enough to have been marked on a map. At least a human one.
His best indications were the mountains to their left but even then, the mountain range crossing the continent from north to south was thousands of miles long, and Jimin had trouble recognizing any peak from the next.
“We’re almost there,” Jungkook said, about an hour later.
“Where’s ‘there’?” Jimin asked. “Your capital city?”
“You could call it that. It’s not the largest, or the most populated, but it’s where our leaders meet.”
“Does it have a name? If you don’t mind sharing it.”
He could see Jungkook raise an eyebrow. “Why would I?”
“Because of who I am. We’re still in an active war. This could be dangerous information.”
Jungkook let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s called Seorabeol. Very dangerous information. Could get you killed. Only millions of others know about it.”
Jimin held the urge to hit the back of Jungkook’s head but before he could retort, they stopped.
Hovering above a tree that looked like all the others, Jungkook slowly made his way down. It wasn’t obvious at first why he had chosen this particular spot, but it became clear once they got under the canopy.
The trees here were nothing like what could be found in the human parts. They were technically inside and yet, Jimin couldn’t clearly see the ground, still too far down.
These trees were giants. Trunks larger than most houses, branches spreading farther than the laws of nature should have allowed. They were easily taller than the Palace’s highest tower, and Jimin felt a little dizzy.
He was about to comment on the trees when he started to see more clearly.
“By the Gods!” he cried out in shock. “What is that?”
The closer they got, the more he realized that what he had thought to be branches were something else entirely.
“This is the eastern part of Seorabeol,” Jungkook replied, and there was some amused pride in his voice. “Not the busiest part of the city, but it has its charm.”
Every single tree was linked to its neighbors by long bridges made out of the branches themselves. It didn’t look like it had been made by anyone, but that the trees were holding each other’s hands. But there were people walking on them, crossing from one tree to the next.
And Jimin’s mouth opened even wider. His eyes, following the bridges, fell on hovering balconies, on intersections where groups of people were talking, hundreds of feet above ground.
There were strange lights on the trees, coming at random intervals. Jimin looked closer and suddenly gasped.
“There are windows in the trees!”
“It’s a very nice neighborhood,” Jungkook nodded.
“People live inside the trees…” It was more a realization than a question, but he couldn’t really wrap his head around it. And yet, as Jungkook started flying right in the midst of these ‘houses’, Jimin could see the details better. The doors carved right into the bark, the clothes hanging out to dry on balconies, the handrails, protecting from a fall that no one seemed to fear.
Some people turned to look at them, and Jimin instinctively lowered himself against Jungkook. It wasn’t like he could be seen well, behind the fairy’s back and with the wings covering so much space already, but he didn’t want to be noticed too much.
No one, however, seemed to care about him. Eyes were on Jungkook, and some saluted when they got close enough. Jungkook didn’t wave back but nodded to a select few.
“I’ll take you to the fairy representatives,” Jungkook said, and Jimin was almost too busy gawking to hear. “The Council won’t be meeting until the end of the week, and I don’t think it’d be good for you to be presented right away.”
“Why not?”
“You might need to rest for a few days. Take in your new life.”
And the fact that Jimin almost protested, that this wasn’t his new life, was enough to prove Jungkook’s point. Jimin’s world was being turned on its head. Perhaps he would need some time to accept it all. Right now, he wasn’t sure he ever could.
“Tell me what to expect of these representatives,” he asked.
This shouldn’t be any different from meeting a delegation from a foreign kingdom. He’d been kept away from the battlefield, not from politics.
“Don’t expect too much,” Jungkook said, pushing away any thought of formal meeting. “Each species has its representative. We fairies have two, and I know with both of them. We’ll meet them where they live.”
“Why would the fairies need two representatives?” Jimin asked.
Jungkook turned his head with a confused look. He then pointed at himself, then Jimin.
“You do see the differences, don’t you?”
Jimin probably wore the same expression. “I mean… Of course I see them. But…” He paused. “I don’t have wings because I’m not really like you, right?”
Jungkook let out a groan. “It really does not matter that your mother was human. You’re fairy nonetheless.”
“But the wings…”
“You’re a water fairy,” Jungkook said. “You’re incapable of flying, just like I couldn’t possibly make up a storm when I’m feeling crossed.”
“Really? And how was I supposed to know that?” Jimin exclaimed.
“We’ve been at war for so long, aren’t you supposed to know a thing or two about us?”
Jimin made a face. “You might have a point. So, if there are water fairies, what are you? A wind fairy?”
“Air fairy,” Jungkook corrected him. “Though some call us ‘dark fairies’.”
Jimin hummed. He’d only ever heard of flying fairies, so it wasn’t a stretch to believe that only air fairies had been seen on the battlefield. If water fairies truly looked like Jimin, then it could be possible that the humans didn’t know of their existence.
“Dark fairies… That’s an ominous name,” he said. “Anything like that for the other type?”
“You’re called ’pixies’.”
Jimin rolled out his eyes. “As if I’d believe that.”
“You can ask Namjoon. We’re almost there.”
Every tree looked the same to him, and Jimin wondered if there were any obvious signs he was missing.
“Who does Namjoon represent?” he asked, not wanting to make any faux pas.
“Water. His mate will probably be here. And if Yoongi isn’t there already, we’ll call for him.”
Jimin made note to ask about the word ‘mate’ later and asked, “Yoongi represents the air fairies then.”
Jungkook nodded but didn’t elaborate, as he closed his wings without a warning, making Jimin scream a little louder than he would have liked. The wings opened again right before they touched a balcony and they landed gracefully, though Jimin’s heart wasn’t doing so well.
“A warning next time,” he begged.
He wasn’t sure his legs would hold his weight right now, and Jungkook seemed to think the same, giving him a few seconds before he kneeled again. Jimin slowly made his way down, careful not to touch the wings. He had told Jungkook that he wasn’t afraid of heights, but this balcony held by magic wasn’t something he’d experienced before.
“Are you all right?” Jungkook asked, back on his feet. His wings were folded again, and Jimin felt a little twinge of sadness. He hoped he’d get to fly again.
“How is this holding up?” he wondered, looking at his feet. “What kind of builders can make this?”
“The kind that can ask trees to create more branches in the right place.”
“That can what?”
Jungkook raised a hand. “You’ll get all the time in the world to ask about magic later. We need to do this first.”
Now that he was facing the fairy again, Jimin saw the drawn-out expression and the dark circles under Jungkook’s eyes.
“Are you all right?”
Jungkook seemed more tense too, and he nodded curtly, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“This first,” he said, pointing at the door behind him.
Jimin didn’t push it. They both needed a day or two to sleep this off, though for different reasons.
Jungkook raised a hand to knock but paused for a second too long, somewhat hesitant. Was he regretting his choice to bring him back? Despite his insistence that Jimin was part of this world, he was still…
Jungkook knocked.
Jimin took a deep breath in, putting on the mask he’d learn to wear during official meetings.
The door opened to a large man, one who opened his mouth in shock when he saw Jungkook in front of him.
“You’re back!” The man took Jungkook in his arms, managing the impossible task of making the fairy look almost small. He was avoiding the wings, Jimin noticed.
“It’s been days! We were so worried for you. Seokjin told me…”
Jungkook moved back, standing straight.
“I’m fine Namjoon, we’ll talk later. There’s someone else you need to meet.”
And that’s when Namjoon’s gaze shifted to Jimin. The fairy was glowing. Not just because of how open and kind he looked, there was an actual glow around him, so soft it was almost imperceptible. Jimin bowed his head slightly, and the fairy audibly gasped.
“Goddess, Jungkook, you did it. You…”
“This is Jimin,” Jungkook interrupted him. “He’s the second Prince of the Park kingdom.”
Not of the ‘Park King’, but Jimin didn’t mind it, too wary of what Namjoon’s reaction would be.
It took the fairy a few seconds to react, eyes set in a confused frown. “A human prince?”
“I know I’m putting you in an odd position,” Jimin said, not wanting to worsen the already dire situation between their people. “I come here in good faith.”
That seemed to shake Namjoon out of his bewilderment. “Of course, you’re welcome here, Prince Jimin. It’s just…”
“Can we talk inside?” Jungkook interrupted again.
Jimin wondered, for the first time, who Jungkook was in this hierarchy? Was he so friendly with the leader of the fairies that he could talk over him at any moment, or did he hold a position of power himself? Unless the social rules here were different from the ones in the human territories, in which case, Jimin would have to tread with care.
He was immediately put to the test when he saw Namjoon and Jungkook remove their shoes as soon as they stepped into the tree. Never had he been asked to do such a thing, but Jimin imitated them in silence, hoping that it was the right thing to do.
The house itself was extraordinary. Plain, in comparison to the wealth put on display in the Palace, but buzzing with what could only be magic. The tree had been carved from the inside and not a single wall in the room was straight. The furniture, the chimney – how could a chimney burn here, Jimin wondered – even the table at the center of the room, seemed to have been carved directly from the surrounding tree. There was a staircase leading to another floor, but Jimin didn’t try to peer. There was already enough to gawk at in this first room.
“Sit, I’ll make you some tea,” Namjoon said, then raising his voice. “Seokjin! Call Yoongi and come downstairs.”
“I get two days a month, Joon, two! This better be – ”
“Jungkook’s back.”
Jimin heard a curse, a loud thump, and a window opening. Then, there were sounds that he couldn’t make out.
“Do not throw an arrow at his house again!” Namjoon warned him.
“That will get him here. He’s been worried sick.”
Jimin tried to catch Jungkook’s reaction but they were sitting next to each other, and only saw his shoulders tense.
He was dying to ask questions. He was being thrown in the middle of something he clearly didn’t understand and if he were honest with himself, he preferred to think about Jungkook’s ‘disappearance’ rather than his own position.
Jungkook wasn’t of the same mind. “We’re not here for me,” he said, more stern than he’d been with Jimin.
“Of course we are!” Seokjin cried out. “Do you have any idea…”
“Seokjin.” Jungkook’s voice admitted not rebuttal. The two fairies looked at each other in a tense silence.
Seokjin was the first one to look away, eyes focusing on Jimin. “And who are you?”
He was like Jungkook, wings pulled against his back, and he was wearing an expression that made Jimin feel completely out of place.
“He’s a Prince,” Jungkook replied for him.
Seokjin snorted and gave Jimin a military salute. “So am I.”
Jimin started to stand up so he could greet him like he had Namjoon, but Jungkook said, “He’s not.”
Jimin looked between the two of them. There was tension there, but he couldn’t tell how bad it was, with how closed off Jungkook seemed.
“I’m Joon’s mate,” Seokjin said. “Pretty sure I’m royalty or something.”
“You’re not,” Namjoon said, coming back to put five cups on the table. They were not like the crystal glass Jimin was used to, where you could always see the drink, in case someone tried to tamper with it. He had no choice but to trust these people.
And how could Seokjin be Namjoon’s mate? Relationships like these couldn’t be allowed, not when the line had to be continued.
He was starting to get overwhelmed again. Between Jungkook’s coldness, these new people he didn’t know, and this place he didn’t know the customs of… He thought he had been trained in politics, but for obvious reasons his tutors hadn’t included a course on interacting with enchanted royalty.
Loud knocks on the door startled him.
“Told you the arrow would work,” Seokjin said.
“Who’s doing that?” An angry voice yelled from the entryway. “I almost flew into your door.”
Jimin froze when he heard the wind outside, and cold sweat ran down his back.
Jungkook put a hand over his arm, and Jimin was glad that no one could see his fingers curling around his wrist.
Jungkook had seen him weak, there was nothing that could be done about that. But he couldn’t let the others see it as well.
“Goddess, that’s you?” Seokjin gawked at Jimin.
“Who’s he?” the new arrival asked, removing his shoes and coming to the table, but staying behind his chair. “And when did you come back?”
This was a disaster. Namjoon and Seokjin were looking at Jimin as if he were something to pry apart, and though Jungkook’s hand still held him, there was so much tension between him and the new fairy that Jimin could choke on it.
He kept a straight face, because that’s what decades of living with his father had done to him, but the wind outside made the door rattle.
A wave of something fell upon the room.
“Everyone sit,” Namjoon ordered. “Drink your tea.”
Jimin couldn’t tell what it was, but the panic in his chest quieted down, and Jungkook’s hand was softer around his wrist.
Yoongi sat next to Seokjin, though still looking at Jungkook with a dark expression, and Namjoon poured them all a cup of tea before settling at the end of the table.
“First of all, welcome to my house, Jimin, and welcome to Seorabeol. I’m sure this is a lot for you, but we’ll make sure to help you settle.”
Jimin didn’t know what kind of magic he possessed, but he’d correctly guessed that Jimin was here to stay.
Seokjin opened his mouth, and Namjoon raised a hand without looking at him. Jimin had questions of his own, but he was too caught in the fairy’s stare to do anything but nod.
After a moment of silence, Namjoon then turned to Jungkook.
“Make your report.”
The tone was still kind, but noticeably different. Jungkook removed his hand from Jimin and sat straighter.
“After I left, I headed towards the human territories.”
Seokjin and Yoongi tensed. Given their wings, they could also be soldiers, and Jimin wondered if Jungkook had disobeyed a direct order. Despite all of that, it was Namjoon who was clearly controlling the room.
“I wasn’t in a right state of mind,” Jungkook admitted, “And I flew closer to the Park kingdom than I should have. I did get a good look at their resources and numbers, which should help…”
“Not now,” Namjoon stopped him. “That’s not what I’m interested in.”
Jungkook tersely nodded. “I noticed a storm then, a magical one. At first, I thought it might have come from one of our own, a prisoner perhaps, but the storm was too wild, and located in the upper part of the Palace.”
Jimin tensed. It felt wrong, to hear about his rage so dispassionately, but Jungkook continued.
“The balcony window had been left open, and I entered the room. This is where I met Jimin.”
Everyone’s eyes, except Jungkook’s, fell on him.
“Which we’re guessing is you,” Seokjin said.
He looked exasperated, though more at Jungkook than anything, but Jimin still found himself feeling attacked.
“I am Park Jimin,” he replied, used to having to defend his position to people who judged him. “Prince of the Park kingdom and second son of its rulers.”
Son of a deceased ruler and living disappointment to the other, but he kept that part to himself.
“What?” Seokjin cried out, standing up so fast that his chair flew back. “You kidnapped a human prince?”
“I came of my own volition,” Jimin said, standing his ground. “Jungkook didn’t kidnap me.”
“He might as well have! You wanted a fight so bad you attacked their royalty, is that it?”
“He’s one of us!” Jungkook roared, standing up as well to face Seokjin. “His powers were coming out and he was in the middle of that storm so yes, I had to come in!”
“Bullshit! We’d have known if the humans had kept one of our own…”
“Sit down, Jin.”
Yoongi must have outranked him because Seokjin obeyed. However, Yoongi didn’t look much more amenable.
“You left, Jungkook. After what happened, without a word or an explanation,” Yoongi said, with a lot more control, but still with raw emotions. “And we were worried sick about you, for an entire week.”
He waited, but Jungkook didn’t reply so he continued. “I don’t believe that you kidnapped anyone, but if what you both say is true, then we will have trouble on our hands.”
“He’s one of us,” Jungkook said, obstinate. “You felt the wind outside. He…” He paused, then looked at Jimin. “You’re powerful. You may not have control yet, but you could learn. And you’re one of us.”
“He is,” Namjoon nodded, putting a hand over Seokjin’s to stop him from interrupting, “And we will offer him a place, but Yoongi has a point. The humans will retaliate.”
“I believe that my father knew,” Jimin suddenly said, and he held himself straight when all four fairies looked at him again. “I have two other brothers and it was always obvious that I was… different. And that my father didn’t treat me the same. There were also rumors in the court,” he said, pushing back the hatred he’d always felt for the nobles who had whispered about his mother. “I… didn’t want to believe them, but I don’t think I have much of a choice anymore.”
“And your powers?” Namjoon asked seriously, “You never felt them before that night?”
Jimin made a face. “There were small moments, odd feelings… I always attributed them to chance. Last night was different. Things were… about to change. I couldn’t deal with that.”
“There’s also…”
Again, Namjoon squeezed Seokjin’s hand to make him stop.
“How long ago this would have been?”
“I’m twenty-three,” Jimin said. “But I have a younger brother who’s just about twenty.”
The others made a face, Seokjin snorted.
“I know,” Jimin said. “My mother died in childbirth. My father started the war a few months later.”
“So what? That’s what this has always been about? A revenge for his wife to have loved one of us?” Seokjin asked, his voice getting louder. “This is why we’ve been forced into this fight?”
“It’s not Jimin’s fault,” Jungkook said, voice rising as a warning.
“I didn’t say that! But we always thought they were seeking territories, or trying to kill us all. Instead this is… a love quarrel gone wrong.”
“Has anyone ever heard of such a thing?” Namjoon asked. “A fairy falling for a human Queen?”
“He had to be a water fairy,” Jungkook said.
Yoongi let out a long sigh, putting his face in his hands for a brief moment.
“I have,” he groaned. “But it’s not my story to tell.”
For the first time, anger took over Jimin’s anxiousness.
“It is my story to hear,” he said, not feeling sorry when the door rattled again. “Did you actually know of my existence?”
All eyes were on Yoongi, who let out a frustrated sigh.
“Hoseok should be here to say this. He’s gone for today, but – ”
“Hoseok isn’t here right now,” Namjoon said with a frown. “And I would also like an answer. Did you know there was a fairy in their royal family?”
“I knew it was a possibility,” Yoongi admitted, running his fingers through his hair. “You all know about Hoseok’s father.”
Jimin didn’t, of course, but the others had. Enough for Namjoon to tense and for Seokjin to let out a curse.
“He never said that his mate was a Queen,” Jungkook said.
“Well, it was already hard enough to announce that he had found his mate in the human world,” Yoongi scoffed. “So no, he never said anything about it.”
“Then how…”
“Hoseok forced it out of him,” Yoongi spat, wrestling with telling a secret that wasn’t his own. “When his father came back dying, he demanded that his father at least tell him why.”
Jimin was at a loss. There was this word again, ‘mate’, which clearly meant more than a simple relationship, but he didn’t see what it had to do with this man’s father.
“Please,” he said, needing to understand, “What does this mean?”
“Magic gives us many things, but it can take just as much.”
Jimin didn’t know what it was about Namjoon, but the air seemed to shimmer around him, heavy with calm and purpose.
“Mates share a very deep bond. A bond that calls two people together and grounds them, but not everyone has one. Hoseok’s father didn’t, and he had Hoseok with another fairy. However, he disappeared one day, and no one saw him for years. All we knew was that when he came back, he smelled like the human world. And that he was dying.”
He paused here, giving some time for Jimin to process. Though he still didn’t understand how it worked, he didn’t like where the tale was going.
“His mate had died, so he was dying as well,” Namjoon explained, confirming his doubts. “I didn’t know he had told anyone what had happened during his time away.”
This last part was for Yoongi, and the fairy nodded reluctantly.
“As I said, Hoseok asked him. Said he deserved to know why he was losing his father again, when he’d already been abandoned. It was a human Queen, and she had carried a child that he believed was his. And then, she had died. That’s all Hoseok told me.”
“That would make him Hoseok’s half-brother,” Seokjin said, a little dazed. “Why would he keep that to himself? Knowing that we had a fairy in human royalty would have been such an asset…”
“Perhaps because Hoseok’s father didn’t want his child to become an asset,” Yoongi replied, though he seemed too drained to have any real bite. “Hoseok said that he was rambling at this point, that he never got the child’s name, nor which Queen he’d been with. When his father died… Hoseok preferred to let it go.”
Jimin felt a hand on the nape of his neck, and didn’t think to push it away. He had lived through a lot, had borne many insults and humiliations, but nothing had ever come close to this. To this feeling of being flayed open in front of the entire world.
“Is there a place where I can retire for the night?”
It was barely midday, but he wanted to be alone. Jungkook hadn’t removed his hand from his neck, but Jimin couldn’t deny that it was the only thing that made sense at the moment. He was feeling removed from his own body, as if he were witnessing the exchange through someone else’s eyes.
“We should…” Yoongi tried.
“Another day,” Namjoon said.
Jimin could feel it, hovering above them, that magic touch that the fairy seemed to possess, but it didn’t work this time. Only Jungkook’s hand stopped him from stumbling when he stood up.
He made sure to wish them all goodbye, to bow his head when Namjoon accompanied them outside, speaking in hush tones with Jungkook, to be careful of the wings when Jungkook made them fly again, this time for a short flight that he couldn’t enjoy.
“This isn’t much,” Jungkook said, letting him off his back on a new balcony, one closer to the ground. “We’ll see about getting you something better.”
“It will be perfect,” Jimin replied, unable to look him in the eyes. “Sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you can rest well.”
“Jimin…”
He closed the door behind him without hearing the rest. He knew it was rude, and he would apologize later, but it was all he could have done without collapsing on himself.
Now, alone in this dark room, he finally let go.
Not of his emotions, he didn’t want another storm to form in the surrounding forest. He didn’t want anyone else to see how weak he was. But he did let go of his body. He fell with a thud and sat on the floor with his back against the wall, unable to do anything more than breathe.
He was crying, tears and sobs coming out more forcefully than he would have liked, but it was better to cry here, with no one to see him, than to have the whole world be swept in his emotions. There were too many to decipher. Anger, confusion, hatred, and a sadness so deep that it would have swallowed him whole if he’d allowed himself to feel it.
He wanted Taehyung. To put his head on his brother’s shoulder and listen to him talk about his day.
He wanted Jungkook, who had managed to stop the storm last night and who had helped him control it.
He wanted his mother. More than anything, the memories of her arms was what made him cry the most. She had loved him, yet not enough to tell him who his father had been. A note, a letter, anything that would have prepared him for the turmoil he was finding himself in.
He didn’t know how long he stayed there, but he had to have fallen asleep at some point because he opened his eyes to find that night had completely fallen. It was dark inside, with little light coming from the only window in the room. He found a flintstone by the fireplace and managed to light up a fire.
The room was mostly empty. The fireplace, a small table with two chairs, and a simple bed by the wall with a trunk at its end. For the first time since he’d left the White Palace, he removed his backpack and let it fall on the bed. Then, he removed all of his clothes and put on new ones. He should have washed up first, but the last thing he wanted was to leave the room. He found the warmest clothes in the backpack and put them on.
The smell of home was comforting only until it reminded him of what he had lost forever. He didn’t want to regret his decision, but found it difficult when he was feeling so lost. He wished he had taken something else with him, a small portrait of his mother, or one of his favorite books from the library, but he had left in a hurry and hadn’t thought to bring something to soothe the loneliness.
He laid in bed, which was softer than what he was used to, but was unable to sleep. He should have strategized, thought about the next course of action, but nothing came to him. For a long time, he simply watched the fire burn. There was no wood in the hearth and yet, the flames gave off real heat that warmed up the room. Something else he would have to ask about, among all the other things he didn’t understand about this world.
How could he ever be a part of it? Jungkook had insisted that he was part of the magical world but Jimin knew nothing about the place, about its history, about its culture. He was less knowledgeable than a child in that regard, causing troubles with his emotions and asking about what ‘mates’ were. He still didn’t understand it, despite Namjoon’s explanation. This man, the one who was allegedly his father, had found his mate in the Queen, but had this been reciprocated? Could a human have a mate?
Jimin wondered if she had loved him, this man, this fairy, who had been his father. Jimin didn’t remember seeing many signs of love between his parents, but he remembered that she loved him the most. He remembered Wonshik’s jealousy and had even believed, for most of his life, that this was partly why his older brother hated him so much. Jimin had always kept it a secret, the fact that he had loved being their mother’s favorite. Now, he was wondering if she had favored him so much because he had been the son of the person she had actually loved.
He couldn’t find any joy in those thoughts, but he refused to let himself cry again. This would be another thing to endure. He just needed some rest, and the night to pull himself together again.
And yet, he did not sleep. He tried to close his eyes and let his mind wander, but thoughts of this estranged father, or of this half-brother inevitably startled him awake.
Eventually, he became so frustrated that he got out of bed. The last thing he wanted was to lose control again so he decided, an idea born of exhaustion, that he needed to pace around until he was too tired to stand.
The room being too small for that, he opened the door, stepped outside, and paused.
The trees were still as impressive, gigantic figures that stretched so high it was impossible to see their foliage in the darkness, but what made Jimin gawked was all the lights.
There were two lanterns on his own balcony, giving off a soft glow that didn’t hurt the eyes, but it was still enough for Jimin to make out the railing protecting him from falling.
But there were hundreds more lanterns in the trees around, and the forest looked like it was filled with stars. There was also the glow of the fire coming from the windows, different in their warmer colors, but equally as beautiful in the night. Every single light meant people living here, comfortable in their homes. It was a stark contrast to his own situation, but he couldn’t help but feel awe at the sight.
“Can’t sleep?”
Perhaps Jimin was too tired for surprise because he didn’t even startle. He turned his head to see Jungkook, sitting on a large branch a few meters above with his back against the enormous trunk.
“No,” Jimin simply replied. “You?”
Jungkook shook his head.
“It’s only midnight. I already slept the afternoon away.”
Jimin could have used this moment for more questions. To ask what was waiting for him tomorrow, or what he needed to learn to not make himself a fool, like he had earlier today…
He didn’t. Instead, he turned back to the city full of lights.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful.”
“Wait until you see the Mother Tree,” Jungkook replied. “It’s a sight.”
Jimin half smiled. He believed Jungkook, but he also didn’t think that it would come close to what the city falling asleep evoked in him. All these people, spending the evening with their loved ones or already asleep, made his heart ache.
“The war has never touched this place, right?”
“No. The humans have never been able to find Seorabeol. Most of these people have only vaguely heard about the war.”
“That’s good,” Jimin whispered.
“Most of them have lost someone to it though,” Jungkook added plainly, without a hint of malice.
Jimin nodded. Perhaps this was something he could focus on, instead of wallowing in his own misery. He would need to figure out his own situation eventually, but doing it in the hopes of stopping the war could give him some much-needed focus.
“I’m sorry,” Jungkook suddenly said. “About the way my friends treated you earlier.”
“Namjoon was nice.”
Jungkook snorted. “A diplomatic answer. Namjoon is in his position for a reason, but Seokjin and Yoongi should have known better. It doesn’t excuse anything, but I can promise you that their anger was only meant for me.”
“I see. It was just… a lot of information. I should have handled it better.”
“I would have done a lot worse than some wind if I’d gone through what’s happening to you.”
“I still lost control,” Jimin insisted. “I could have hurt someone.”
“Wait until you see the winter storms,” Jungkook said. “The forest won’t appear so peaceful then. And everyone loses control at first, these trees have seen way worse than you.”
Jimin didn’t feel any better about it, but he appreciated Jungkook trying.
“Namjoon says that you can take a few days to yourself,” he added. “Sort things out before you’re introduced to bigger things.”
Jimin frowned. “I can manage just fine.”
Jungkook sighed. “Let me say that again, he orders you to stay put for a few days.”
“He would order a Prince?” Jimin asked, more curious than offended.
“A human one, sure. He also told me to stay close and answer any questions you might have. Make the transition easier for you.”
Jimin turned to look at him again. Jungkook didn’t seem too bothered by his new mission, but Jimin couldn’t tell if it was a lie or not.
“Don’t you have more important tasks?”
Although Jungkook wasn’t looking at him, Jimin still felt the weight of his attention.
“I have questions of my own to answer,” Jungkook replied vaguely. “And between us, I’d rather be here than reporting to my superiors about my many mistakes.”
Of course, that made Jimin want to ask about said mistakes, but he wasn’t sure that he’d be received positively.
“Then I’ll be sure to ask many questions to keep you away from them,” Jimin said instead.
He hoped that it was a smile that crossed Jungkook’s face.
“Much appreciated. I’ll leave you be, then. You’re probably tired.”
Jimin was about to protest, but he found that Jungkook was right. The restlessness that had kept him awake was gone, and he yawned.
“Goodnight, Jimin.”
Jimin wished him a good night back, but he took off.
He watched the fairy fly away, the lights of the sleeping city reflecting on his wings until he was too far to see anymore.
When he laid on the bed again, he didn’t even pull the covers over him, already asleep.
When he walked outside the next morning, Jimin mourned the loss of the lights. The forest was still incredible during this time of day though, especially with the first rays of sunlight piercing through the foliage.
“I hope that you didn’t sleep outside.”
This time, Jimin jumped. He couldn’t believe that Jungkook had managed to sneak up on him the same way as last night.
“I hope that you didn’t sleep outside,” he replied.
Jungkook smiled and let himself fall from the branch he’d been sitting on. Jimin winced when he landed on the deck without using his wings to slow down.
“Are your bones that different from a human’s?” he asked, looking at the fairy’s knees.
“We are much stronger than humans,” Jungkook confirmed, then, “Is that your first question? Surely you have thought of something better.”
Jimin rolled out his eyes. He had actually thought of questions to ask Jungkook. There was a lot he needed to get up to date with.
“Here’s one,” he said. “Where do I eat, bathe, and get myself some new clothes?”
There was a chamber pot in the room but that was it. He was a Prince, and others had always been there to take care of these things for him.
Jungkook nodded. “All good questions indeed. And it’s actually what I had planned for your first day. I’ll show you around, introduce you to some people, and make it so you can navigate this place on your own.”
At the mention of meeting new people, something in Jimin’s stomach rebelled.
“We’ll start with eating,” Jungkook said, leading the way around Jimin’s balcony, until they got to one of those long bridges that joined the forest together.
He stepped on it without a thought, but Jimin paused when it was his turn to go.
“This is… high,” he said, hoping that Jungkook wouldn’t mock him.
“You flew on my back for an entire night.”
“It was easier with you between me and the ground.”
“Do you want me to hold your hand?”
Jimin looked up to glare, but Jungkook seemed serious enough that he sighed.
“You won’t always be there. Better get this over with.”
Jungkook gave him an odd look, and it was easier to look at him rather than his feet. The ‘planks’ making up the bridge were rough but tightly woven, and the ropes holding it together were larger than his own waist. Still, he swayed a little when he started walking.
Jungkook took a step towards him and Jimin shook his head. “I can do this,” he breathed out. “I’ve never been afraid of heights, why would I start today?”
Jungkook eyed him warily.
“This isn’t like climbing on a roof. The bridges move, and you can sometimes see the ground beneath…”
“Not helpful!” Jimin exclaimed, sweating by the time he got to Jungkook’s side. He would seriously need more clothes by the end of the day.
Jungkook held his arm towards him and Jimin shook his head.
“Take it,” Jungkook insisted. “You’ll get used to the feeling faster with some help.”
Jimin had always managed perfectly fine on his own, but he couldn’t deny the relief he felt when he took Jungkook’s arm. It was much easier like this, and they reached a new balcony faster than if he’d kept doing it on his own.
This tree didn’t hold a house. Instead, more bridges were attached to it and signs carved in the trunk signaled where the different paths led.
“Why the signs?” Jimin wondered, as they walked across one of the bridges.
“This part of the forest is reserved for the guests,” Jungkook explained. “This is where we host friends of the fairy people.”
“I’m not sure that’s what I am.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “You would call yourself an enemy?”
“The son of an enemy. Of the enemy,” he added. “I never agreed with my father’s war and I was never allowed on the battlefield, but I attended the meetings. I was part of it.”
Jungkook stayed quiet for a moment. There were more people on the next balcony they reached. Though no one paid any attention to Jimin, most of them saluted Jungkook, who barely nodded back.
“I supposed he kept you from the forest to avoid your powers acting up,” Jungkook said in a low voice.
“I think so as well.”
That was as far as Jimin was comfortable talking about his powers, and he was glad to smell something that made his stomach growl. The next tree they got to was carved on multiple levels, close to one another, and the sounds and smoke coming from the open windows showed a level of chaos that Jimin had seldom experienced before.
Jungkook took them inside and Jimin’s eyes widened. This tree had been carved to its limits, the large room filled with tables, each table itself filled to the brim with people eating, talking and laughing. Most of them were fairies but Jimin also noticed elves, dokkaebi, and even a couple of dwarves by the wall.
People he’d only seen images of in books.
“Come,” Jungkook groaned, leading them through the mess and up the steepest staircase Jimin had ever climbed.
They had to go two more levels until they found a relatively quieter space and a table for themselves. As soon as they sat down, a fairy appeared at their table. She didn’t have wings, so Jimin guessed she was a water fairy. For the first time, he noticed the pointy ears and he looked at Jungkook. They were well hidden under his hair but now that he was looking for them, he did see that they were pointy as well.
“Usual breakfast? Tea for both?” the fairy asked rapidly, already eyeing newcomers on a nearby table.
“Bring out your best,” Jungkook said. “He’s Namjoon’s guest.”
The fairy looked up, eyes going a little wide when she saw Jungkook.
“Of course, General. Right away.”
A shadow crossed Jungkook’s face. To Jimin’s surprise, instead of denying the title, he looked Jimin right in the eyes.
Jimin should have felt a little threatened. At the very least, annoyed that Jungkook had hidden his rank from him. He was neither. They hadn’t exactly had the time for more in depth conversation. At least until now.
“I’m still higher ranking than you,” Jimin said.
Jungkook snorted and looked away, the tension broken. Jimin would want to ask more questions about this later, but he had other things in mind.
“Is this place safe to talk?” he asked, looking around.
“It should be, but you might want to keep the most sensitive things for later.”
Jimin could work with that.
“I’ll be blunt then. We don’t know anything about the forest past the warfront. Our maps are outdated or entirely made up, depending on the ones who drew it. So, my question is this, what is Seorabeol for your kingdom? If there is even a ‘kingdom’ to speak of.”
Jungkook slowly nodded, though Jimin couldn’t tell if he was approving of his question or simply thinking.
“We don’t have kingdoms the way humans do,” he replied after a while. “There are no set borders but we do have people in specific regions of the forest. Seorabeol isn’t our largest city but it is central. More than that, we’re in the middle of lands that have been inhabited by the fairies for millennia, and fairies were the first to propose an alliance between the magical people. Seorabeol became the city where the Council of representatives meets. It’s the political capital, if you will. And with all the different species meeting here, it’s also the biggest market in the entire forest. You’ll be in for a surprise when you visit them.”
“I’ll be in for a surprise wherever I go,” Jimin mused, absorbing all the information.
Before he could ask anything else, the same fairy came back. With an efficiency that Jimin suspected magic had a part in, she served them two full platters and steaming cups, before leaving with a small bow.
Jimin eyed his plate, then suddenly asked. “Where does it all come from? Do you have farming lands? What type of cattle do you even keep?”
Jungkook, who had just taken a fork, raised an eyebrow. “This is what you ask, instead of eating?”
Jimin took his own cutlery with a slight flush. “This is important. My father hates your kind so much he never bothered to learn. But I have the opportunity so…” He paused to take his first bite and couldn’t hold back a sound of delight. “Oh, what is that?”
Jungkook smiled. “A much better question.”
He explained it, and then some more while they ate their breakfast. It was basic information, things a child would have known if they’d been raised here, but Jimin hadn’t. Jungkook talked about how they didn’t eat meat, but they still kept some cattle for milk and eggs. That a lot of their food came from the Yeongju plains, right outside Seorabeol. He told him about the dwarven cities under the mountains, where a mushroom grew and produced the spice on their eggs, once dried and grounded. Jimin ate slowly, not wanting to lose any of it.
Jungkook even provided a map after their table was wiped clean, to point out the places he’d just talked about. It was a foreign concept to Jimin, to see these territories overlapping, but Jungkook assured him that there hadn’t been a war between the enchanted for centuries.
“Most of these cohabitations are beneficial,” he explained. “You would think that the ogres would walk all over the sprites, but the sprites live on the trees and their magic makes the earth extremely fertile. In return, the ogres take care of the forest, cutting out dead trees and offering protection when storms hit.”
Jimin hadn’t even heard of sprites until today, and he asked Jungkook if he could keep the map.
“I brought it for you,” Jungkook nodded, folding it back. “Let’s go. I can’t stay with you the whole day but I’ll show you the bathhouses before I leave.”
There were still as many people eating when they left, and Jimin wondered how many of them lived amongst these trees.
“It depends,” Jungkook shrugged when asked. “It’s slow at the moment, but when the festivals come, every tree is filled with visitors. There are around a million fairies in total, but not all live in Seorabeol. Around a tenth of us are fighting against the humans, but they get to come back at least once a month.”
Gods, this was information that the King would have killed for. It brought some rebellious pride in Jimin, to know that he had managed to get all of this information, while two decades of war had brought his father nowhere.
“A tenth? How come so few of you are fighting?” he asked. “You would crush our armies if you used these numbers.”
He couldn’t see Jungkook’s face, walking ahead of him on yet another balcony, but he saw his shoulders tense.
“Only air fairies can fight, and our goal is simply to keep the humans out, not to destroy them.”
Jimin paused. Thinking that he was wary of an upcoming bridge, Jungkook handed out his arm again, but Jimin shook his head, bewildered.
“You mean to tell me that you’ve been… What? Stalling us? This entire time, you haven’t actually tried to win?”
“That’s not what I said,” Jungkook retorted. “We want the humans out but our people don’t kill, so we keep the humans far away from our cities.”
Jimin blinked. “You don’t kill? But our soldiers die all the time.”
Jungkook’s nostrils flared, and something dark passed on his face. “Not as often as they should. The enchanted don’t kill. Most humans die because they fell into a trap, or because they don’t understand how to survive in the forest.”
Jimin’s mind was running. It was true his father and the generals often congratulated themselves on the ‘low amount’ of deaths in their ranks, but he had never thought that it had been on purpose.
“So… We never were a real threat to you? If my father could hear that…”
Jungkook opened his mouth and closed it again, jaw clenched. He was trying to stay in control, Jimin realized, finally noticing how angry the fairy looked.
Taking a deep breath, Jungkook said, “Humans are a very real threat to us.” He was speaking slowly, making every word matter. “They do kill our people and destroy the forest, but fairies don’t kill, and refuse to do anything more than keep them at arm’s length.”
That’s when Jimin saw it.
“You don’t agree with that.”
A group of people came onto the bridge and Jungkook waited for them to pass, mouth pressed in a thin line.
“I think we’re losing good people,” he eventually said, “when we could put an end to this without much effort.”
And then, Jimin had a suspicion. “When were you made general?”
Jungkook’s eyes darkened. “Six months ago.”
“That’s when we started losing the first camps.”
“You didn’t lose anything because you’re not one of them,” Jungkook snapped. “And yes, I think we need to start attacking back, with real power.”
Jimin suddenly gasped. “You’re the Death Fairy!”
Jungkook took a step back, pale.
“I’m the what?”
“The Death Fairy, the one that took back the Hwando camp, and the Sulji camp before that. You also pushed the soldiers back around the Chungju lake. That was you!”
He had heard his father and Wonshik rage about Jungkook for months and now he was here, talking with him.
But Jungkook seemed anything but happy about this. He was looking away, pale and rigid.
“I didn’t know I’d made a name for myself,” he said without emotion.
“You have,” Jimin replied. “They all talk about you. You’re the reason why my father needed reinforcements. Why he sold me out to the Kwon King.”
Jungkook’s expression became even more somber.
“I suppose it is fitting that I helped you escape then…”
“It really is.” And then, Jimin scoffed. “You don’t know what I would give to see my father’s face when he learns all of this.”
“You keep calling him ‘Father’,” Jungkook suddenly said, veering the conversation away. “Why?”
Jimin pressed his lips together.
“Because he is,” he said after a pause. “He’s not a good one, but he raised me. I believe you when you say that my mother had me with someone else, but I will never know that man.”
“You could meet your brother,” Jungkook insisted. “You ask a lot of questions, but you didn’t talk about Hoseok once yet.”
“I already have a brother,” Jimin interrupted him. “Two, actually, but that’s not the point. I grew up with him. He is my best friend. I’m sure that this Hoseok is a good person, but he is not my brother. Not in the way that counts.” He crossed his arms in front of him. “Now, where are the bathhouses?”
Jungkook didn’t reply, but led them away. Thankfully, he kept his thoughts to himself. Jimin had enough of his own to deal with.
They soon got to a tree that had a stairwell carved inside its trunk.
“We’ll go all the way down,” he said to Jimin. “It’s either that, or the ropes.”
Just then, two fairies went up to the edge of the balcony. There were no rails in certain places and instead, ropes were dangling. Each fairy took one and let themselves glide down.
Jimin swallowed. “The stairs, please.” He then looked at Jungkook. “Wouldn’t it be faster to fly down?”
Jungkook looked away.
“Now that you know who I am,” he said. “You understand why I don’t often carry people on my back.”
Jimin opened a silent mouth, suddenly embarrassed that he had enjoyed the flight so much.
“Of course,” he forced himself to say. “The stairs will be fine.”
A green glow came from within the tree, lighting their descent, and even more green was waiting for them downstairs. Jimin had been so busy gazing up since his arrival that he hadn’t looked at what was at the bottom of the city. As it turned out, the forest here looked more like what Jimin was used to, if he ignored the house-sized trees. There were more regular trees here, and paths that were well kept in the midst of thick foliage. The flowers were unlike anything Jimin had even seen, not that he had seen many in the castle, but they added not only color, but also a sweet smell everywhere they went.
“Why don't we have those near the human borders?” Jimin wondered, leaning to smell a purple flower.
“This is the work of water fairies,” Jungkook said. “You might not have wings, but you are powerful. I’m not really sure of how this works but try touching it.”
Jimin obeyed. Nothing happened for a few seconds but then, the flower moved towards him, as if seeking him out. It glowed, though not as strong as the flower in the castle.
“You’ll have to learn from another pix– From another water fairy.”
Jimin looked away from the flower, amused. “You really call the other fairies ‘pixies’?”
“It’s just a nickname. They’re much more fragile and ‘one with nature’.”
Jimin faked an angry frown and tensed his muscles. “While you air fairies are so big and strong and dark.”
Jungkook blinked and let out a laugh. It surprised Jimin into laughing as well.
“Now who’s being mean!” Jungkook said.
“Not me. But I understand why you’re called the ‘dark fairies’ now.”
Jungkook’s smile softened and he turned away.
“Come,” he said. “It’s right here.”
And indeed, after another turn, they entered a clearing where a large building stood. This one was not a tree, though it was made out of the same wood, and steam came out of the roof. Jimin could hear a large stream nearby, though he couldn’t see it. Just standing outside, he could actually smell the hot water, and the need to soak was felt deep in his bones.
“Will you be able to find your way back?”
Jimin looked at him. “You’re leaving?”
Jungkook nodded. “These meetings I told you about.”
“I could ask more questions, if you need an excuse.”
Jungkook smiled. “Thank you, but I’ll have to face them eventually.”
“Of course. Then yes, I should be able to go back. I’ll have to get used to the bridges eventually.”
Jungkook eyed him for a few seconds. “I’ll come back to meet you tomorrow, if that’s alright with you.”
Jimin tried not to appear too eager when he nodded. The last thing he wanted was to be left alone for too long, or worse, to be given someone else as a guide.
“Of course. Thank you for spending so much of your time with me, General.”
Jungkook immediately raised a hand. “Absolutely not.”
Jimin didn’t push it.
“See you tomorrow then, Jungkook.”
Jungkook smiled, and Jimin took a step back when he opened his wings. He wished he could have had more time to look at them but Jungkook quickly took off, so fast that Jimin wondered how he didn’t fall down from his back when they’d fled the Palace. Jungkook had probably flown slower for his sake, he realized, seeing how quickly he had now disappeared between the trees.
Alone again, Jimin had a moment of deep wrongness. What was he doing here, in this strange place where he didn’t know anyone? A deep pang of loneliness hit him, something that Jungkook’s presence had managed to keep at bay.
He heard people coming his way, forcing him to move. He wasn’t going to make a fool of himself in front of anyone else, and that thought helped him make his way inside the bathhouse.
He’d never been in anything resembling this. Not because he was human, but because he was a Prince. He had always used his own private baths, and didn’t know the first thing about these types of establishments. Looking around the first main room, he decided to follow other people’s lead.
Quickly, he realized the way things worked, removing his shoes, then his clothes, before following two other male fairies in a large room which held a steaming pool and several small waterfalls around it.
This was the right move, for this bath was reserved for men. However, he quickly realized that magical species weren’t separated. As he went to sit in a peaceful corner of the pool, he tried not to be too obvious as he looked at everyone coming in or out. It wasn’t out of judgement, but pure marvel. Fairies looked the most similar to humans, of course, except for their pointy ears. They also possessed an otherworldly beauty, something that made them distinctly different, and though Jimin had always been told how beautiful he was, he didn’t think that he quite possessed this particular trait. He was sad to see that there were no air fairies in the bath, as he would have loved to observe more wings.
Other species interested him even more, and he spent a good deal of time trying not to stare at a group of dwarves laughing at the other end of the pool. Their muscles were different, their bones not the same length, and yet they swam with grace, especially in an element that Jimin would have never associated with them.
Smaller beings were flying over the surface, diving and quickly coming back up in short intervals. Jimin would have to ask Jungkook if those were actual ‘pixies’. There was also what he thought to be a giant horned creature floating in the water, and Jimin had to hide his blush in the water when his eyes wandered down for a moment. Nudity didn’t bother him much, not when he had spent most of his life being bathed and dressed by servants. He was, however, glad that Jungkook had left. He wasn’t sure that he could have held the same conversation with the man if they’d been bathing together naked.
Jimin stayed long enough to have his fingers wrinkle, but he came out of the building feeling like a new man. He wondered if something in the water itself was magic, because his step felt lighter as he walked back up to the upper parts, almost buzzing with energy.
The feeling stayed for the rest of the day and back in his room, Jimin was restless enough that he spent most of the time on the balcony, watching the city live its busy course. The energy waned by the end of the day, and he felt the need to sleep. But when time for dinner came, he went back to the cookhouse from earlier and ate on a small table between a group of elves and two smaller creatures who talked in grunts and snarls.
He could imagine Taehyung making comments about everything. Never mean, because Taehyung didn’t have a mean bone in him, but curious and excited. Jimin tried to feel this excitement, but even the night lights from his balcony didn’t fill him with the same amazement that night.
He slept fitfully, sometimes waking up and believing himself to be in his bed in the Palace, only to realize where he actually was. He kept thinking about what would be happening at this moment. He had disappeared two nights ago. Surely his father would have sent search parties for him now, and Jimin worried that this would translate into more attacks against the fairies.
There was also the matter of his new ‘family’. He didn’t want to think about them as such but he stayed awake for hours, guilt gnawing at him. So he had a ‘brother’, Jungkook had said, what was he supposed to do about it? Open out his arms and act as if they were long lost relatives finally finding each other again? They were, but that didn’t mean that Jimin felt any kind of excitement, and that made him feel like a monster.
Every time emotions started to swell, he immediately smothered it. He didn’t want to create any trouble outside, and feared that any outburst would cause a storm.
There were stretches of sleep, in between the whirlwinds of thoughts, and he woke up alert without feeling truly rested.
He couldn’t deny how relieved he was when he walked outside to see Jungkook, sitting in his usual spot. Being alone hadn’t done him much good, and he smiled widely when the fairy landed next to him.
“Slept well?”
Jimin shook his head. “Terribly.”
Jungkook snorted. “You sound happy about it.”
Jimin wasn’t about to tell him that he was thankful not to be alone anymore so he asked, “How about you? Still alive, after all the questioning?”
“The Council can’t be too angry. Not when I keep winning battles for them.” He didn’t elaborate, instead adding with a small wince, “Namjoon wants to speak with you later. Seokjin and Yoongi won’t be there.”
“Will you be?” Jimin asked.
Jungkook paused. “If you want me to.”
He wanted nothing more than that, but he also didn’t want to appear like he needed a crutch to get by. As a Prince, he should be able to hold a one-on-one conversation with another leader.
“I’ll meet him alone,” he said, and Jungkook didn’t protest.
“Breakfast first,” the fairy said. “Any questions for me this morning?”
Jimin had many of them. After his time in the bath, he had seen many different kinds of people that he didn’t know the name of, and he described some of them to Jungkook, who would then give him all the information he needed. As it turned out, there were so many kinds of magical beings that even Jungkook himself admitted that he sometimes mixed them up.
“Height is a good indicator,” he explained as they ate. “Taller than us, you have ogres, giants, elves, drakes and some dryads. Smaller, and you have dwarves, dokkaebis, pixies, even korrigans, but they’re so far west that I never met any. But don’t ever talk about the dwarves as smaller. You can also categorize people by their ability to fly or not, which is what differentiates both types of fairies. You can even separate us by magical abilities. Again, air and water fairies are different in that regard.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, some creatures are magical by nature, but can’t actually wield magic. That would be me. While you and many others can actually manipulate magic. Think of the dwarves who can shape stone, or dokkaebis who can make wishes come true… Water fairies are part of this category.”
Jimin wished he could have taken notes, but that would have only slowed him down. He asked question after question, so much so that Jungkook had to stop him after a while.
“I think it’s time we meet with Namjoon.”
Jimin had dreaded the words, but he knew he couldn’t get out of it. As it was, he’d already been coddled enough, and he didn’t want to appear anymore weak than he already was.
He followed Jungkook through another path, one that led them away from the ‘visitor’ area. There were mostly fairies in this part, and Jimin saw children for the first time. They must have been coming back from school – Jimin would have to ask Jungkook about that later – and he smiled at the size of their smaller wings.
He recognized the tree where Jungkook had brought him first, and anxiousness grabbed his stomach when Jungkook moved aside. He was looking at Jimin, a question in his eyes.
“I’ll do this alone,” Jimin said.
Jungkook eyed him. “You don’t have to.”
Jimin thought about something to reply, but he was mostly gearing up for the conversation ahead.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” he asked instead. That was all he could muster at the moment.
For the first time, Jungkook hesitated. “That depends on what you and Namjoon decide.”
Jimin couldn’t imagine that his education on the magical world was done, but perhaps Jungkook had other things to do than take him everywhere by the hand. He’d have to worry about it later because the door opened, letting out the fairy who was essentially a King.
“Jimin, it’s nice to see you again,” Namjoon said with a smile. “I hope you’ve managed to rest a little.”
Jimin bowed his head. “I have, thank you. Jungkook was immensely helpful in showing me around your beautiful city.”
The compliment seemed to amuse the fairy, but Namjoon still accepted it with a grateful nod.
“That is good. Please, come in.” He moved aside and as Jimin was making his way inside, he added, “Jungkook, you should come as well.”
“I have things to do.”
Jimin wondered if that was true, or if he was simply respecting his wish to meet Namjoon alone. Either way, there was a small frown on Namjoon’s face when he closed the door, though it didn’t linger long.
“Please, sit,” he said, pointing at the table. “I’ll make you some tea.”
Just like last time, Namjoon’s movements as he moved around the room, preparing their tea, brought out a wave of calm.
“Are you using magic?” Jimin asked, hoping he wasn’t being impolite. Then again, he wouldn’t have liked Namjoon trying to temper with his emotions.
There must have been some truth to his doubts, because the fairy smiled bashfully.
“It’s not something I control. Or rather, it’s something I do so naturally that I can’t help it,” he explained.
Jimin perked up. How could he not fully control his power, given his position?
“You see,” Namjoon continued. “Making tea is what I do when I need to think or to calm down, and it requires plants and water, so my magic can’t help but join the party.”
“At least the side effect is positive,” Jimin said, the knot in his stomach already loosening. “Mine is a risk to everyone else.”
Namjoon put two steaming cups on the table. “My magic is calm because I spent years taming it, and because my position requires me to stay calm, even in dire situations.” He sat down, eyeing Jimin. “You’ve just been thrusted into a world that isn’t yours, with the knowledge that part of your life was a lie. I think that you’re handling it very well.”
“I’ve kept it under control for now,” Jimin conceded. “But what happens when I can’t anymore?”
Namjoon shook his head. “Your magic isn’t something to be ‘kept under control’.”
“It is when it wants to destroy everything around.”
Namjoon took a sip of his tea, thoughtful. Jimin imitated him, and the same warmth he’d felt in the bathhouse filled his body. There was something about the water here that deeply appeased him.
“Right now, your magic doesn’t have any outlet,” Namjoon said. “It comes out as storms and winds because you don’t know what else to do with it. I’ll see about getting you an instructor but in the meantime, don’t close yourself to it. Neither emotions nor magic are meant to be kept under lock.”
“My ‘magic’ has been kept under lock for my entire life,” Jimin remarked. “Why come out now?”
For the first time, Namjoon evaded his gaze.
“I believe that something happened that night. Something that made your fairy nature come out to the surface.”
“I… In a way, I believed that my life had ended,” Jimin admitted.
Namjoon raised a curious eyebrow. “That might have been part of it. Can you tell me more?”
Jimin didn’t know if it was the man’s calmness, or whatever magic was in the water that made him want to trust Namjoon, but he obeyed. He explained their armies’ recent losses and his father’s anger. The room seemed to darken when Jimin mentioned the “Death Fairy”, but it passed a moment later. He continued with his father’s plan to marry him, the speed of it, and the lack of choice he’d been given. He even talked about his last conversation with Taehyung, which had led him to following Jungkook, when the possibility of leaving had been brought out.
Namjoon listened, refilling their cups halfway through and asking little questions until Jimin came to the point where he had chosen to follow Jungkook. Only then, did he lean back, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“I have to ask,” he said, when Jimin became silent. “How do you feel about this war between our people? Wouldn’t your King deem you a traitor for revealing all of this to me?”
Jimin scoffed. “Of course he would. I never saw the purpose of the war, and I always believed that our resources would have been better used on our own people. I was a part of it, though. I never opposed my father or tried to make him change his mind.”
“Do you think he would have listened?”
Jimin made a face. “I realize now where his disdain of me stemmed from. I was already the last son he was willing to listen to, I can’t imagine how he would have reacted if I had started advocating for the magical people.”
He tried to keep a strong façade, but looked away at Namjoon’s sympathetic look.
“I think this was more about your mother’s choice rather than about you.”
“I was a reminder,” Jimin said, throat tight. “I understand that now. Still, he raised me as his own.”
Namjoon didn’t argue, though he didn’t look like he fully agreed.
“Nevertheless, I have to ask, what is it that you want?”
Jimin took another sip. This was precisely the question he didn’t have an answer to.
“Tell me if I’m wrong,” Namjoon continued, “But I don’t think you’ll be going back to your King in the near future, right?”
Jimin scoffed. “I escaped because of that marriage, so I can’t possibly go back. Not now, nor ever.”
“You could go back to the human side. Somewhere else.”
Jimin shook his head. “No. I may still be… confused about who I am, or what I can do, but it won’t do me any good to ignore that part of myself. I do want to stay here, and I do need to learn to control myself.” He paused, thinking about how to phrase the next part. “However… I also want to use my position. Perhaps it is arrogance, but I want to work towards something with the humans. My father knew I wasn’t his, yet he never disowned me. There might be a chance that he’d be willing to talk with me.”
Saying it out loud made him realize how ridiculous the thought was, but he couldn’t stay here and not try.
“You would advocate for peace?” Namjoon asked.
“The humans are losing,” Jimin said. “And from what Jungkook said, they’re not even doing any real damage to the magical armies. If I could convince them of how much resources and soldiers they’re wasting on this...”
“I don’t know what Jungkook told you, but humans are very much a threat,” Namjoon warned him. “Years of damaging the forest, of depleting very important sources of magic. And they don’t kill many of us but some die in battle, while others die in Seorabeol because they lost their mates. And there’s also the fact that fairies don’t easily reproduce. This war is costing us our next generation.”
Namjoon paused, eyes closing for a moment, and it was only then that Jimin realized just how dark the room had gotten. As the fairy calmed down, the glowing light from outside came back.
“I would appreciate any effort for peace,” he said, voice deep with emotion. “I don’t know if you’ll be able to achieve it, but I believe that you could become a bridge between our people. However,” and his expression darkened again, “I don’t think that the other members of the Council will see things my way. I think that I am a good judge of character, and I believe you when you talk of peace. Others will not. You will have to make your case to them, if you want to contact your family.”
“Can’t you give me the authorization?”
“Not on something so important. I wouldn’t want to act without their consent.”
Jimin nodded. “Then, what do I do?”
Namjoon smiled.
When Jimin came out of Namjoon’s house, an hour and two more cups of tea later, it was with a newfound resolve. He had a goal in sight. ‘No more war’ was the general idea, and meeting the Council to convince them to contact the King would be the first step towards that goal.
If he wanted to convince them that he had the best interest of the enchanted in mind, he would have to show them that he wanted to belong. And he did, no matter how scared and wary he was. He craved this new world that could become his, perhaps even more so than the human world.
They hadn’t talked about Hoseok yet – perhaps Namjoon had seen how Jimin had tensed at the mere mention of Yoongi – but this would have to come as well. In the meantime, he had agreed to lessons with another water fairy, which would start the very next day.
Jimin couldn’t really tell whether he was more excited or nervous, but there was no doubt that he was determined.
He could prove that he was worth something. That he could be useful.
He searched for Jungkook in the branches of his tree, but didn’t find him there. Still, he wasn’t worried.
Somehow, he knew that Jungkook would be there the very next day.
The next few days followed more or less the same routine.
Jimin would eat breakfast with Jungkook, asking him questions about the magical world and its people. He was gaining a broader knowledge of the enchanted, more than any human before him, and Jungkook always gave thorough answers. It was easier to catch the glances of fear and reverences towards him now, but Jungkook always made time for him. The only thing he had admitted to Jimin was that he was being kept in the city as punishment for his ‘rash’ actions in battle. Jimin has tried to ask, but Jungkook had never given any details as to what these actions had been.
After breakfast, Jimin would go down to the forest floor and meet with Jongwook, a water fairy that was easily four times his age. They met by a small river and there, Jimin would try to feel the world as Jongwook described it to him.
Jimin had yet to feel anything special.
Jongwook spoke of the circle of life, of the river being a parallel to magic, and how Jimin needed to open himself to its flow. But the river kept flowing, and the only signs of magic Jimin had displayed had been strong wings of frustration.
Still, he enjoyed the times where Jongwook made him sit on the riverbank with his feet in the water. He could close his eyes then, and let out the sound of the forest wash over him. Then, Jongwook would go on another lecture and it would start all over again.
Jimin liked learning about what magic could do, from pure water manipulation to powerful healings, once one understood how life flew through the body, but he couldn’t replicate any of it yet. Jongwook’s theory about the storms Jimin created was that Jimin unconsciously let his magic flow into the air, rather than going deeper into himself and face what was inside of him.
Which was the nicest way of saying that Jimin still hadn’t faced the fact that he was part fairy. It wasn’t for a lack of Jungkook trying, as he reminded Jimin that he was fairy at least twice a day.
His days mostly ended in the bathhouse. There, he could sometimes relax enough to feel the magic in the water that refused to come out during his lessons, though he’d never been able to do anything with the sensation yet.
After that, he would either eat by himself, with Jungkook, or with Namjoon, when they fairy invited him. Jimin had met Seokjin again and during that second meeting, Seokjin had apologized for his behavior on the night of his arrival. Since then, he had been nothing but kind, if sometimes a little teasing, to Jimin.
The most surprising part, however, had been to discover that Seokjin and Jungkook were in fact brothers.
It explained, in hindsight, why Seokjin had been so angry at Jungkook for disappearing for so long, but Jimin still had trouble seeing the two men as brothers. They were both tall and handsome, but where Seokjin was unserious and loud, Jungkook was stern and harder to read. Only when they were together would Jungkook lighten up, smiling at Jimin’s complaints about Jongwook and even teasing him on some occasions.
Still, Jimin wasn’t getting anywhere. The more time he spent in the forest, the more energy he felt entering his body. It was making him restless, but also tired all the time. He could feel that ‘flow of life’ Jongwook kept droning on about, this incessant buzz under his skin, but he couldn’t do anything about it.
This frustration led to more and more outbursts of angry winds, until he snapped one morning.
He had just spent a terrible night, unable to really sleep because of the energy within, yet too tired to even pace around the room.
And when he stepped out of his room, come morning, ready to snap at Jongwook if the master tried to talk to him about the tranquil flow of life, he hadn’t realized that he had made up a small storm around his tree.
“Careful!”
Jungkook stumbled as he landed next to him, almost falling on Jimin.
“Oh Gods, I’m sorry,” Jimin said, heart in his throat.
He hadn’t realized just how little control he had over himself. He tried to breathe deeply, to calm the storm around them, but the magic – as well as his frustration – weren’t so easily dismissed anymore.
The magic was rolling in his chest, trying to find a way out. What use had been the past few weeks, if he was still this weak?
Hands fell on his shoulders, and Jimin opened his eyes to look at Jungkook. The touch helped, but it was Jungkook’s stare that made the storm quiet down, little by little. Jimin would have preferred to look away, to hide his shame, but they were breathing in sync, his magic finally finding a way out.
“Gods,” he whispered, the exhaustion making him blink rapidly. “I’m…”
“You’ve already apologized,” Jungkook said. “And you didn’t hurt anyone.”
Jimin held his gaze with a frown, but he was starting to see that Jungkook was at least as stubborn as him, so he let out a long sigh. “This can’t go on. I’m not making any progress.”
Jungkook held his gaze a little longer, then let his hands fall from Jimin’s shoulders.
“After breakfast, I’ll take you somewhere.”
Jimin raised an eyebrow. “And my lesson?”
Jungkook gave him a wry smile. “I’m sure Jongwook will miss you as much as you’ll miss him. It’s not working anyway. We need to try something else.”
Jimin didn’t ask more questions, too tired to argue. He didn’t even reject Jungkook’s arm when they walked over the bridges, even if he had no problem crossing them anymore. They ate breakfast silently, letting other conversations around roll over them.
It was only when Jungkook brought him down to the forest floor that he got curious again.
“Are you going to give me a lesson this morning?”
But they weren’t going towards the usual stream. Instead, Jungkook led him towards a large river, the one Jimin could see from his balcony. It cut the forest in half, and there were many bridges crossing it. Jimin had often watched the boats floating over it. He knew where the river lead, thanks to the maps Jungkook had given him, but he had never been on one himself.
Jimin sat on the small embarkation with renewed excitement.
“East or west?” he asked.
West would mean the city center, the marketplace and the siege of the Council. East would mean going away from the city, towards the larger forest. Jimin knew where he wanted to go, and he didn’t have the energy for a busy day in the city.
“East,” Jungkook said, as if he could read Jimin’s hopes.
There was something east that Jimin had been dying to visit. He had asked Jungkook a few times – even Namjoon a couple of days ago – but both had been too busy.
Now, he was finally going to see the Mother Tree.
Jungkook had mentioned it once, and Jimin had seen it drawn on the maps, but no one had truly explained it to him. Even Jongwook, when asked, had given him what Jimin had already known. That it was the most important tree in the fairy realm, a place of worship and deep magic.
Jimin knew what temples were. He had never been a strong worshipper but humans had their own Gods. He doubted, however, that the Mother Tree would look the same.
“I’ve heard you swear to the ‘Goddess’,” Jimin said, “Is this where you go to pray to her?”
Jungkook sat facing Jimin, and pushed them away from the pier.
“Is it big? Has it been there a long time?”
“You know I’m not going to answer.”
Jimin glared at him.
“We’ll get there soon enough,” Jungkook said, clearly enjoying this. “There’s no use trying to explain if you’re not seeing it.”
This close to water, Jimin’s energy was quickly rebuilding, so he willed himself to be patient. He didn’t want another storm to ruin this.
“Fine. At least tell me how we’re sailing in the right direction without oars,” Jimin said. “And don’t just give me ‘magic’ as an answer.”
Their boat was smoothly sailing on the right side of the river, while others stayed on the left. No one was leading their boat one way or the other. The embarkations simply stopped on the right pier, where new people could climb inside.
“It is magic,” Jungkook replied, but he raised his hands to appease Jimin’s glare. “Look here.” He pointed at the side of the boat, and Jimin leaned down. A crude map of the river had been drawn, with several points indented more deeply into the wood.
“You simply touch it?” Jimin asked, awed. “And the boat takes you there?”
Jungkook nodded. “Wood and water,” he said. “Magic.”
“Jongwook didn’t tell me about this,” Jimin said, fascinated. He let his finger run over the river’s surface, trying to open himself to it. It was there, vibrating, and the boat’s wood as well, all around him.
But it refused to do anything Jimin asked it to.
Jimin removed his hand and sat back down with a groan.
“It will come,” Jungkook said. “You’re close.”
“Close to hurting someone,” Jimin scoffed. “Or maybe I’ll just explode first.” He then noticed Jungkook’s smile. “What?”
Jungkook shrugged. “You are very dramatic. Even if I hadn’t known that you were a Prince, I would have guessed it, eventually.”
“Dramatic?” Jimin said, vexed, “How can I not be? I almost made you fall this morning.”
“Fall? Goddess, what would I have done if I had fallen from your balcony?”
The water was reflecting light on Jungkook’s wings, adding to the insult. This was far more amusing to Jungkook than it should have been and Jimin glared at him.
“We all struggle. Our powers shift, or sometimes things happen that change us… I’m not saying that this is easy for you,” Jungkook said, more serious, “But that’s why I wanted to bring you here today. I want…”
“Oh Gods.”
Jimin wasn’t listening anymore. Their boat had made a turn, and behind Jungkook, Jimin could finally see it.
Jungkook quickly looked behind his shoulder and smiled.
“I don’t think that you should call the human gods right now.”
Jimin didn’t reply, mouth open in wonder and head pushed back. It was immense, dwarfing all the other trees in this already gigantic forest. The river flowed around it, leaving the Mother Tree as a small island, with at least fifty boats attached to its giant roots. There were lights hanging all over the branches, and a glow coming from the main archway in its trunk.
“Gods,” Jimin whispered again. “That’s… How?” He wanted the boat to move faster, needed to see what was inside.
Perhaps magic was finally getting on his side because the boat swayed a little, making Jungkook startle for the first time.
“Let’s keep the storms for later,” he said, holding onto the rail. “The Mother Tree isn’t going anywhere.”
As soon as the boat got close enough to one of the roots, Jimin jumped out, making it sway even more.
“At least wait for me,” Jungkook groaned.
“How can this be?” Jimin marveled, looking all around. “Look at its size, and the power… Can you feel it?”
His skin was buzzing, from his legs to his fingertips, making him restless. The roots themselves were a wonder, large enough to have several people walking side by side, intertwined paths leading to the central opening.
“I can feel it,” Jungkook replied, amused.
Without thinking, Jimin grabbed his arm to pull him faster towards the entry. “Tell me everything about this. About Her.”
It was good that Jimin was holding his arm, because Jungkook prevented him from slipping back into the water.
“Look in front of you and I’ll answer,” he snorted, helping Jimin climb a higher root. “So, you have your Gods, and we have one Goddess, the Mother.”
“Her,” Jimin said, gesturing at the tree.
“Not exactly. We believe that this land was barren, until the Goddess came to make it her own. She knew that many would want to live in her home, so she made sure to make it as perfect as possible. So she made the first mountain, and hills and valleys started to appear. Then, she made the first river, and life started to appear. Finally, she made the first tree, the Mother Tree, and others started to grow around it, providing shelter.”
“Wait, is that first river the Nakdong river” Jimin asked.
Jungkook nodded. “I know this is how the humans came to live here, sailing across the river until they found lands where the forest hadn’t taken roots.”
“We say that the Traveler is the one who ordered the winds to push us to our lands, and that the Builder helped us make the first cities.” Jimin thought about it for a second. “It is fitting that you believe in a Goddess being nature itself, while humans believe that the Gods command nature for their own use.”
“Tells us a lot about how they’re treating our world.”
Jimin wasn’t about to argue religion, especially not when they had finally reached the tree’s opening.
The room inside was taller than the High Temple he knew, but the bark inside had been carved, intricate knots climbing all the way towards the ceiling.
“What are these?”
There were pools all around the room, filled with glowing blue water. The light reflected all across the room gave it a magical hue. People were sitting around the fountains, some kneeling, others sitting on the ledge and letting their hands rest in the water. No one was talking loudly, but there was a hush of whispers and low voices. It made whatever was inside Jimin’s chest thrum louder.
“Pools of pure magic,” Jungkook replied, leading him inside the room. “You can find them all over the forest. They sustain magic in a large area around them. Humans love to destroy them.”
Jimin gasped, hand clenching around Jungkook’s arm. “You’re not serious. I never heard of them before.”
“Most humans don’t realize what they truly are. Some have noticed their power and protect them, using them to water their crops. But I can assure you that some humans in the army know about them. They purposefully destroy them, fouling them with poison or draining it, to remove magic from the forest. Makes the trees easier to fell, and the inhabitants easier to kill.”
Anger rose in his chest, and Jungkook put a hand over Jimin’s. “This isn’t the place for vengeful feelings. Come.”
He led Jimin to a staircase hidden in the wall, and up so many stairs that Jimin’s legs started to hurt, despite the weeks he’d spent walking around.
They arrived in a small room, with a large window to let in the sunlight, and a pool like all the others downstairs.
“This one is for official ceremonies,” Jungkook said, letting go of Jimin’s hand and sitting on the side of the pool. “Not everyone can come here but…”
“One of the perks of being a general?” Jimin smiled.
“Something like that,” Jungkook said. “I thought you’d enjoy some privacy.”
Jimin looked out the window overlooking the forest and quickly turned away, feeling dizzy. They were far above what he was still getting used to.
“Why did you bring me here?” he said, sitting by Jungkook’s side. “Don’t get me wrong, it is absolutely incredible.”
Jungkook let his hand fall inside the water, making lazy movements.
“I come here, sometimes, when I need to… recenter myself.” The water seemed to glow brighter when Jungkook touched it. “I thought maybe it could help you as well.”
Carefully, Jimin lowered his fingertips until they touched the water’s surface. It was stronger than soaking in the bathhouse, making his chest buzz with a warm sensation. He breathed out, letting his hand soak in deeper.
“I… Do people bathe in them?” he blurted out.
He was startled when Jungkook burst out laughing.
“What?” he asked. “I was just wondering. I’m not going to do it!”
“No, it’s…” Jungkook shook his head, smiling widely. “It is technically forbidden, but young parents like to bathe their child inside the pool during the month after their birth. It doesn’t do anything, but they feel like it’s a blessing. It’s the bane of Namjoon’s life, and he tried to install a watch to stop people from doing it. It never worked. People will always find a way.”
“Were you bathed here as a child?”
Jungkook’s smile turned sad. “I was. Apparently, Seokjin threw me inside and my mother had to get me out by the ankle. It’s the only place where I’ve ever been hit, so maybe the blessing does work.”
“I wasn’t bathed here as a child,” Jimin said, moving his hand across the water. “Not really fair.”
Jungkook looked at him for a second. Then, he raised the hand that had been in the water and brought it to Jimin’s face, who suddenly sat up straighter, eyes wide. Without a word, Jungkook first traced a line from Jimin’s temple, along his jawline and down to his chin. Then, he did the same on the other side. Finally, without looking away, he drew a line right in the center, from his forehead, down to his nose, and on his chin one last time. His fingers brushed against Jimin’s lip for the briefest moment, making his heart jump.
Jungkook moved back, the air between them so charged it seemed that they both couldn’t breathe, until Jungkook looked away.
“There, that’s what we normally do to the children. So there, you’ve been blessed.”
Jimin dumbly nodded, forcing himself to take a breath. Every part of his face that Jungkook had touched was tingling, his lips burning. He couldn’t tell whether it was from the magic or not.
“Why do you need to recenter?”
The question had been blurted out, and it took them both by surprise.
“What do you mean?”
“You said that,” Jimin put his hand back into the water. It seemed safer to have something to focus on that wasn’t Jungkook’s eyes. “You said that you came here to recenter. Why?”
Jungkook didn’t immediately reply. It left more time for Jimin’s heart to quiet down.
“I don’t… always control my powers,” Jungkook finally said, words carefully coming out. “Your outbursts come out as storms but I’m an air fairy. It’s different for us.”
“How so?” Jimin asked, not daring to speak too loudly.
He looked up again. Jungkook was biting his lower lip, eyes focused on the water.
“My power is in my strength,” he said. “When it becomes too much, I become… better. Stronger than I should be.”
Jimin had a moment of realization, and though he tried to hide it, Jungkook saw it and nodded.
“That’s… partly why I keep winning so many battles,” he said. “Why I have this reputation, even amongst the humans it seems.”
“I thought it was because you wanted to fight harder.”
“Oh, I do,” Jungkook readily agreed. “That’s what makes it difficult to get back to myself. I’m able to do things in this state that I couldn’t otherwise. And it is a good thing, at least I think so, on the battlefield. But here, in Seorabeol, I can’t let that happen. Hence why I come here.”
There was something else. Something he wasn’t saying. Jungkook still wasn’t looking at him and his hand was now a fist inside the water.
Jimin looked at him, wondering if he should prod, until Jungkook exhaled, frustrated.
“I also brought you here because I’m not going to be here as often anymore.” The glow of the pool accentuated his features, and at this moment, he looked like a soldier gearing up for battle.
“I wanted to show you this place, before I left,” Jungkook continued. “I have duties, and the reports we’ve received this past week… They aren’t good.”
“My father is looking for me.”
Jungkook winced. “We can’t be sure yet.”
He wasn’t fooling anyone.
“Despite what happened before, I’m still a general. The council doesn’t fully trust me to lead a frontal attack yet, and they ordered me to report back every week. Still, I wanted you to have a place to go. Just in case.”
Jimin wanted to reach out to him.
“What happened? Before you found me?”
He still didn’t know anything about that.
Jungkook waved his hand dismissively. “I gave the Council the greatest pushback since the beginning of the war, that’s what happened. And they need me there, that’s why they’re still sending me back.”
Unable to help himself, Jimin raised a hand towards him…
And water followed.
They both jumped. The water fell back into the pool, making waves.
“Holy - ”
“Do it again,” Jungkook commanded. “Now.”
Jimin didn’t think. He put his hand in the water again, raised it, and let out a small cry of surprise when water followed again. He was doing it. He could feel the difference, the wild energy in his chest focused into his hand.
Kneeling on the pool’s edge, he pushed both hands inside the water and raised them high above his head. The water joyfully followed, even as Jimin moved his hands around.
“That’s it!” He laughed, looking at Jungkook. “I can feel the water. It’s… different from before.”
His hands were glowing. His entire body was probably glowing as well, for the room looked brighter than before, and the light reflecting on Jungkook’s face made him glow as well.
Jungkook raised a hand tentatively and put it on Jimin’s shoulder.
“That’s amazing.”
Jimin let his hands down, and the water fell again with a loud splashing sound.
“When do you leave?” he asked.
It was a whiplash, the joy of finding his focus, and the frustration of seeing Jungkook leave. He couldn’t help but feel that both were linked. That he wouldn’t have done it without the fairy next to him.
“Tomorrow, after breakfast.”
Jimin nodded, serious. “When will you be back?”
“Every week, I’ll need to report to the Council.”
He nodded again. “In a week, I’ll have surely made some progress.”
Jungkook smiled at the implication. That Jimin would be waiting.
“That doesn’t leave you a lot of time.”
“I’ll make my own report to you then.”
It was better than a goodbye. It was the assurance that they wouldn’t stop meeting.
“Jimin… Before I leave, there’s something else I want to show you.”
Jimin looked at Jungkook. He seemed uncertain, but set on asking.
“I trust you,” Jimin heard himself say.
Jungkook removed the hand from his shoulder. “Come, then.”
They went back down the stairs, and even on the boat, Jimin wasn’t sad to leave the Mother Tree. He was already planning to come back, the next day probably. Especially with Jungkook gone, he’d have more free time.
The boat didn’t take them back to Jimin’s area. Instead, they sailed into a smaller river, back towards where the fairies lived. They saw a group of children swimming, a mix of water and air fairies, but the boat knew to get around them, though they Jimin and Jungkook got splashed a little by their games. The children were full of energy and the teacher, standing on the riverbank, looked like he needed the break. Jimin thought about Namjoon, who had talked about the war costing them this generation. He was glad to see that they were still some of them living carefree, far from battle.
This seemed to be the part of the forest where schooling took place, because they saw other groups of children. Some sitting in the grass, writing on tablets, others in the trees or the rivers. It seemed that younger fairies were taught together, but older groups were separated between air and water fairies.
Jungkook put a hand over the rail, and the boat slowed down until it stopped, at a distance from a group of perhaps ten-year-old water fairies, knee deep in water. They were making the water move in the same way Jimin had just done.
“I really hope you’re not going to make me go back to class,” Jimin said. “I think I’d stand out.”
Jungkook didn’t smile. He almost looked like he regretted bringing Jimin here.
“We’re not here for the children,” he said, carefully watching him.
Jimin eyed the group, and saw the teacher standing next to them, giving advice on how to control the water.
“He seems more patient than Jongwook,” Jimin admitted. “He often talks about things I don’t know about. I think he often forgets I wasn’t raised amongst you.”
“It’s more than that,” Jungkook said. “Magic develops differently in everyone. But there are… similarities, among family members.”
Jimin froze, eyes on the man teaching these children with a big smile on his face.
He finally realized who this was.
This had to be Hoseok. His half-brother.
“He could teach you so much better than Jongwook,” Jungkook continued with heat. “He’s a good teacher already, and a good man. And he could help you like no one else, but…” He paused with a sigh. “I’m sorry I brought you here without telling you first. You’ve been so closed off about him, I wanted you to at least see his face. If you say no, we’ll turn back around.”
Jimin listened, still looking at Hoseok. There were far enough that it wouldn’t be odd for them to turn around and leave. The children hadn’t noticed them yet, and Hoseok himself was too busy with one of the younger children.
But Jungkook was right. Jimin had refused to even think about this man but seeing him was forcing him to come to terms with his existence. In his mind, Hoseok had almost been an idea, a living proof that his mother had been with another man. That there was another part of his family he didn’t know. And it scared him.
But Hoseok was here. He was a person, and he seemed… kind. Normal. Jimin couldn’t really see the resemblance between them, but that made him even more curious. Did Hoseok look like his father, like the man they had in common?
“We can turn around,” Jungkook repeated, and Jimin finally looked at him.
For the first time since they’d met, Jungkook seemed truly nervous, as if he’d made a mistake. Perhaps if he had brought them directly to Hoseok, Jimin would have felt betrayed, but the fact that he was trying to help and still leaving him a way to escape worked even more in his favor.
Because Jimin had been curious. And now that he was here, Hoseok didn’t look like his worst nightmare. Meeting him didn’t mean that they would immediately hug it out and cry. Jimin could simply… talk to him.
He shook his head and gave Jungkook a small smile.
Funnily, this seemed to panic Jungkook even more. “I am sorry,” he said. “I just thought it was important to introduce you two before I leave and…”
“Jungkook,” Jimin stopped him, forcing some courage into himself. “Get the boat moving. It would have happened at some point, and I’d rather have you introduce us than someone I don’t know.”
Jungkook looked at him, and seemed to realize that Jimin was telling the truth. Without a word, the boat moved again and they slowly got closer to the group.
It didn’t take long for them to be noticed, and Jimin watched with a knot in his stomach.
Hoseok raised his head and his eyes narrowed when he noticed Jungkook, darting between him and Jimin. He didn’t seem angry, but he was, much like Jimin, tense.
“Hey, Jungkook,” he said, though he was mostly looking at Jimin.
“Hi Hoseok. Lovely day to be outside.”
That was enough to bring Hoseok’s attention back to him, with a look that read ‘Seriously?’.
“Hello, Hoseok,” Jimin said. He was buzzing with fear, or excitement, he couldn’t tell which, but there was no going back now. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Hoseok watched him for a few seconds, then seemed to melt. His shoulders dropped and with a small sigh, he smiled.
“It is nice to meet you too, Jimin.”
“I am sorry,” Jimin felt the need to say. “That it took me so long to come to you.”
The fairy shook his head. “You don’t owe me an apology. I can’t imagine what – ” The sound of splashing and laughter made him turn his head towards the children. “I want everyone focused! Just because I’m talking doesn’t mean that the lesson’s over.” He turned back to Jimin and Jungkook. “You do know how to pick your moment, though.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” Jungkook said.
“So Yoongi said…” Hoseok replied, almost accusatory.
There was something Jimin didn’t understand there, surely related to whatever Jungkook had done in battle. He wondered if Hoseok would be willing to tell him something about that.
Jungkook ignored the tone. “Jimin just moved water.”
That got Hoseok perking up again. “When? How? What happened exactly?”
Jimin wondered how much Jungkook and Namjoon had told Hoseok about his failures with Jongwook. He didn’t like that idea too much, but still found himself reacting to Hoseok’s excitement, the magic within his chest buzzing again.
“Jungkook brought me to the Mother Tree,” he explained. “We were talking when it happened.”
He put his hand in the water, praying that it wouldn’t fail again. But the water did follow his hand again. In his enthusiasm, his magic seemed to seep around them, the river sloshing and making their boat rock from side to side.
“Not again,” Jungkook said, holding onto the rail.
Jimin and Hoseok laughed at the same time, and it made Jimin breathless. They didn’t share physical similarities, but they did sound similar when they laughed…
“Better that than having wind topple us over,” he said, trying to remain calm.
He let his grip on the water go but his magic was still buzzing, and a little wind did start to pick up around them. Perhaps it was a little too much for him, Jungkook leaving, his magic coming up and this meeting to handle.
Jungkook put a hand over Jimin’s knee and the wind fell down, Jimin reminding himself to focus.
“Can you start training him?” Jungkook asked Hoseok. “It wasn’t working out with Jongwook anyway. Now that Jimin found the way to his magic, you would be the best to teach him.”
Hoseok rolled his eyes. “Of course I will.”
Jimin blinked. He hadn’t expected him to agree so easily, but Hoseok looked like he had been waiting for this since the beginning of their conversation.
“I have the kids in the morning of course, but I’ll free up my time after lunch. We’ll meet by the river you used with Jongwook. It’s a good spot, even if it didn’t work out at first. We have a lot to go through but Namjoon said that you have a lot of potential, and we share the same blood anyway, I trust that you’ll get good fast. Any questions?”
Dumbfounded, Jimin shook his head silently.
“Good. We’ll start tomorrow, then. And – ”
Another splashing sound.
“Master Hoseok, he pushed me!”
“I didn’t!”
Hoseok sighed. “Tomorrow,” he told Jimin with a nod. Then, turning to Jungkook, “And come see me next time. You can’t ignore us forever.”
The look between them was full of meaning and Hoseok pushed it. “Understand?”
Jungkook curtly nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Hoseok seemed to deem it good enough. With a quick smile to Jimin, he walked away.
“Now,” Jimin heard him say, “Who do I need to throw in the river for misbehaving?”
“Me!” cried out a few of the children, excited.
Jimin and Jungkook didn’t talk much on their way back to his room. There was a quietness between them. It wasn’t exactly peaceful, not with Jungkook’s departure looming over them, but this day had untangled many of the emotions that had eaten Jimin up.
When they got to his balcony, Jimin leaned against the tree, Jungkook doing the same next to him. Night was starting to fall and the lights were coming back, bringing back the initial wonder of that first night in the forest.
Putting a hand against the trunk behind him, Jimin smiled. “I can feel it. The magic in the wood.”
“You found your focus,” Jungkook said.
“It’s more than that,” Jimin said, letting his finger run over the bark. “I… I am part fairy. I haven’t been raised as one and it will be a long time before I truly belong, but I can’t pretend that I’m entirely human anymore. I don’t know why but it finally clicked, today. Thank you.”
He could feel that Jungkook was looking at him but he kept his eyes on the lights above.
“Why thank me?”
Jimin didn’t need to think. “You’ve been patient, you answered my questions, and… You brought me here. I don’t know what would have happened if I had stayed but you changed my life when you came in through my window.”
He gripped his fingers on the tree, hopefully taking some courage from its magic, before he turned his face towards Jungkook. He wasn’t so close that they could have touched, but his wing was, and Jimin wanted nothing more than to touch it. He wanted to fly again, to go back to this brief moment of carefreeness.
“Will you be all right, going back into battle?” he asked.
Jungkook’s eyes didn’t waver. “I am a general. I can’t stay here forever.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
It was Jungkook’s turn to look at the city.
“I have to be. As long as I keep winning battles for our side.”
Jimin didn’t ask what would happen if he lost.
“Be careful. I will see you next week...”
He couldn’t help but make it sound like a question. Jungkook owed him nothing, and Jimin would be in good hands now, with Namjoon and Hoseok to guide him.
There was still relief when Jungkook nodded.
“I know you’ll progress fast. You’ll have to show me when I’m back.”
Jimin saluted. “Yes, Sir.”
Jungkook huffed. “I should go,” he said, walking up to the balcony’s edge. Doing so, he stretched his wings, and the lights of the forest reflected on them.
“See you in a week then. Good night Jimin.”
Jimin had difficulty tearing his eyes off the wings but he smiled at Jungkook.
“In a week. Good night.”
Jungkook took off, and Jimin watched until he disappeared. He didn’t acknowledge the weight in his chest. While Jungkook would fight, Jimin would learn. He would prove that he belonged in this world, that he had a place here.
And when the Council would give him permission, he would deal with the war in his own way.
During the next few days, no one was waiting for Jimin in the mornings.
He didn’t let that deter him and used the free time to visit the Mother Tree every morning. He hadn’t dared going back to the upper room, not without Jungkook, but he loved the main room just as much, perhaps even more. There, he often sat near strangers around the same pool, and conversations would often strike.
Jimin didn’t say much about himself. His hair covered his round ears and he simply said that he was a guest of Namjoon’s. However, he loved hearing about other people’s stories and what they were doing in Seorabeol. In a way, it was like his time in the bathhouse, a way to learn more about the enchanted. He didn’t only speak to fairies and so far, he had met a few elves, three talkative dokkaebis, and had even listened to the lengthy tale of a dwarven mother, who had come with her four babies, two in each arm, and how she had come all the way from her mountain to bless them in the Mother Tree.
Jungkook had been right. He had seen families come, a baby in their arms, before plunging it in the glowing waters for a moment. The gestures they used, a line on each side of the face, then from the forehead to the chin, made Jimin think of Jungkook’s hand on his own face.
He also used the pools to practice. The water here seemed to react far better to Jimin’s magic than anything else, though he was making progress.
Which was entirely due to his lessons with Hoseok.
He had come to his first lesson with lead in his stomach, fearing what they would talk about and what Hoseok would perhaps want to tell him about their father.
But Hoseok was a teacher through and through. He wasn’t harsh, far from that. He was watchful, always ready to correct mistakes and give praise when earned. He was also making Jimin work tirelessly. Magic, as it turned out, was a taxing resource on the mind and the body. Water manipulation was only the first step and as they progressed to more complicated tricks, they’d had little time to talk about anything that wasn’t magic.
Jimin found it fascinating. Hoseok had shown him how to move water over greater distances, then how to heat it up, or make it cooler by moving the energy in or out of it. The flow of life Jongwook had talked about so much was suddenly making sense. And Hoseok had a more instinctual way of teaching him. One afternoon, Jimin had been forced to make balls of water that he could throw away. It was either that, or let Hoseok drench him from afar without being able to retaliate. They had both ended up drenched, Hoseok with a satisfied smile and Jimin proud that he had learned a new skill.
His favorite part was learning how to control wood. It was an entirely different affair but Hoseok had said that he was partial to it, so maybe would be as well. He had been right. Life and magic moved inside the trees but at a much slower pace. It was a soothing type of magic and Jimin loved being able to carve into the wood with a simple press of his fingers.
Hoseok said that the houses and bridges had taken centuries of work to the fairies and Jimin believed him, especially when it had taken him hours to cut his first stick with just a touch. Wood magic required time and patience, and Jimin appreciated the focus it gave him.
The day’s lesson was on another subject though, something Jimin had been really excited about. Sitting on the riverbank with his feet in the water, he was looking up at Hoseok, who was standing in front of him.
“All right. This one is going to be different,” Hoseok said, smiling when Jimin nodded eagerly. “You can’t get carried on. This one is about restraint.”
“I know restraint,” he replied. “But why would you need it to heal?”
“Because you have no idea what you’re doing,” Hoseok smiled. “Most of us don’t when it comes to healing, and those who specialize in it spend their whole lives learning.” He gestured at his own body. “How do you heal a wound in the stomach? You’d have to know precisely what’s inside, what has been destroyed, and how to mend it back to its original state. That’s why healers are so important. They’ve learned exactly how our bodies work and they know how to use their energy to put it back together.”
Humans had their own doctors but Jimin only had the most basic knowledge about anatomy.
“You said today’s lesson would be about healing,” he said, somewhat disappointed.
“You won’t become a healer. However, there is a trick to healing.”
He paused with a secretive smile, waiting for Jimin to prompt him.
“To the point,” Jimin said, now used to his antics.
“Of course, your Highness,” Hoseok bowed, making Jimin huff. “The trick is that our bodies already know everything. Most of the time, given energy, the body will know how to reconstruct itself.”
Jimin frowned. “Then why need healers then?”
“Because if you receive a spear in your stomach, just giving it energy won’t be enough to save it in time. You’ll have to know exactly what to rebuild and use your magic fast on the right parts.” Hoseok took out the small knife he always had at his belt and before Jimin could react, cut a small gash on the palm of his hand. “For smaller wounds however, you don’t need the knowledge. A simple boost of energy will help your body do the work.”
Hoseok put his knife away, then used his free hand to make some water rise from the river.
“You could use magic from wood, healers actually prefer it. But for today, this will do.”
He placed the water over his own wound and Jimin watched as the water started to glow. That glowing light, which Jimin knew was magic, then moved to the wound on Hoseok’s hand.
“You need to be precise,” Hoseok explained. “Push it only where the wound is. If you don’t, the magic will just fill the body and excite it. It could make the bleeding worse, actually.”
He let the water fall back without healing himself. Then, he gave his hand to Jimin.
“Try it.”
Jimin made a face. “Didn’t you just say that I could make it worse if I get it wrong?”
“There is always pressure when you heal someone. You need to learn to work despite that pressure.”
“Great,” Jimin muttered, taking Hoseok’s hand in his own. He levitated some water right over it – he wondered when it had become normal for him to do that – and tried to focus on the energy inside it. Removing the energy from the water was easy, the glowing light reacting to Jimin’s own magic.
“Don’t use that much,” Hoseok said. “It’s just a small wound. A tiny bit will work.”
Jimin’s eyes narrowed with focus. Then, he carefully guided some sliver of light right inside Hoseok’s wound. Jimin then gasped, feeling something at the edge of his own magic. He moved back, letting the water fall.
“What was that?” he asked, looking up at Hoseok.
There was a small smile on the fairy’s face. “My own magic,” Hoseok replied. “When you made the transfer, you briefly touched my own energy.”
Jimin didn’t know what to make of that. “Oh,” he simply said.
Hoseok’s smile widened. “Yes. Actually, if you had tried to heal anyone else it probably wouldn’t have worked. Not for your first time at least.”
“Why not?”
“Because you haven’t gotten used to anyone’s magic yet. That’s why healers are also so important. They’ve trained their own magic to heal anyone, even if they don’t know them. And their magic has to be subtle enough to be accepted by the one receiving the healing.”
“Which means that your magic accepted my healing,” Jimin said.
Hoseok nodded, and Jimin’s eyes widened.
“Because we’re family.” He said, voice low.
Hoseok silently nodded again, and Jimin felt his eyes sting a little. He blinked a few times, trying to get a hold of himself.
“Do you…” He hesitated. “Do you have siblings? I mean…”
“I don’t.”
Silently, Hoseok sat next to him. From there, Jimin could see his hand, free of any wound. The healing had worked.
“My parents weren’t mates,” Hoseok started to say. “That’s not unusual, but it is harder for unmated couples to conceive children. They were lucky to even have me.”
“Your mother…”
“She’s still alive,” Hoseok smiled. “She found her mate, actually, a couple of years ago.”
Jimin still hadn’t asked anyone to explain more about ‘mates’, but now wasn’t the time for that.
“She doesn’t want any more children though. Said she has more than enough with me,” Hoseok snorted. “So no, no siblings on this side.”
What he implied was obvious.
“I… I have two brothers. From my mother’s side,” Jimin said. He looked at the river, calmly flowing between their legs, and tried to gather some courage. “My older brother… It’s complicated. We grew up jealous of each other, I think. Him because our mother loved me best, and me because our father favored him. It was stupid in hindsight but still, he didn’t grow up to be a kind man. Wonshik has inherited my father’s hatred for the enchanted, and he’s the main general of his armies.”
Hoseok nodded, and Jimin continued. “Taehyung is my younger brother. My mother died during childbirth, so everyone was very protective of him, me included. I’m closer in age to Wonshik, but I spent all of my time with Taehyung. He is more rebellious than me, but he also always found a way to get us out of trouble. He’s very funny, and… He’s the one who told me to leave the White Palace. Without him, I don’t know if I would have followed Jungkook.”
There was a small moment of silence between them.
“I would like to meet him, one day,” Hoseok said.
“He would love this place so much.”
Jimin lowered his head, closing his eyes for a moment.
“You will see him again,” Hoseok said, gently.
Jimin nodded. “I know.”
He had to believe that. He honestly didn’t care about living with the humans anymore, but Taehyung… He knew he couldn’t live without his brother.
However, Taehyung wasn’t there at the moment. Hoseok wouldn’t – could never – replace him, but that wasn’t what this was about. Magic had shown it, Hoseok was family. A family he hadn’t grown up with, but one he could learn to know. One he had to give a chance to.
Don’t give up hope, Taehyung had said. That had gotten him to follow Jungkook and leave the Palace. But hope could also be found here, in widening his definition of what he had thought was his ‘family’.
“Can you tell me more?” he asked. It was hard to hide the emotion in his voice, but he couldn’t smother it forever. “About our father?”
Hoseok jerked back in surprise. Then, he truly looked at Jimin, and smiled.
His name had been Jaeseok.
He had been a water fairy, specialized in wood working. Carvings were his favorite, and he was successful too. People asked him to decorate their homes, carving beautiful scenes on their walls. He and Hoseok’s mother, Eunhye, had met while they were young. She was a builder through and through, and he’d decorate anything she built. Jaeseok was even known in some parts outside Seorabeol, and he would sometimes travel to fulfill a request.
Except, he never came back from one of these travels. For seven years, no word. There hadn’t been a war back then, so while he could have been attacked by humans, it had just been one of many possibilities. They had stopped searching for him after the fifth year. Hoseok had been nine years old then.
And then, seven years after his disappearance, he had come back. Sick, barely coherent, and dying of grief. Eunhye had taken him back, even though they all knew what had happened, and she took care of him while he slowly withered.
But Hoseok had forced a confession out of him, right before he died. He had been eleven then, and burdened by an anger he didn’t even understand.
He was telling it now with the wisdom of passing years, but Jimin could still feel how it had impacted him then.
“The way he talked about her,” Hoseok said with a sad smile, “I know now what she meant for him, because I know what Yoongi means to me, but then… I couldn’t understand. Still, he told me about her, and how she had loved him back. He didn’t tell me how they met, but they would see each other in the Palace’s gardens, and when she told him she was with child, perhaps his, he stayed nearby.” Hoseok let out a long sigh. “I was so angry then, because he hadn’t stayed for me.”
Jimin said nothing. What could he have possibly said to that, especially when a part of him healed at hearing these words. Because he had been chosen.
“After this point, the conversation gets blurry,” Hoseok said. “He was getting incoherent, and talking about her didn’t help. All I know is that he stayed there until her death.”
Six years.
For a moment, rage filled him. For six years, this person, this father, had been living near the White Palace, still seeing the Queen.
And Jimin couldn’t remember him.
There was no way his mother hadn’t brought him to see her lover. To show him this child, who was his.
Jimin desperately searched for a memory in his childhood, for the image of the man, of the fairy, who could have been Jaeseok. But he came up with nothing. He could barely remember his mother, let alone the rest.
“When she died, he came back to Seorabeol,” Hoseok continued. “I didn’t ask about you, about his ‘other child’, you can imagine why. My guess now is that he didn’t want to uproot you from a life in a royal family. If he had brought you back, knowing that he was dying from grief, you would have been entirely without family.”
With each piece of information, emotions fell into place.
Not all of them were happy, but they fitted together. Awe and grief and surprise and so many more, now that Jimin knew where he came from. Now that he knew who this man had been.
Through him, his mother gained a new clarity in his mind. She had been a gaping hole in his heart, and she was now the light in someone else's story. She was a woman who had lived a life unlike any other human had before. She had fallen in love and had made decisions that perhaps hadn’t been the right ones, but that made Jimin understand her. See her not just as this blurry figure. And Jimin loved her even more for it.
And Hoseok had been an unwilling victim in this story, just like Jimin himself. Someone who had only been a child, abandoned and powerless, forced to watch his father die just like Jimin had lost his own mother. Their roles hadn’t been the same, Jimin younger and kept in the dark until much later, but he felt Hoseok’s pain.
And now they were here. This entire story led up to them, sitting side by side with their feet dangling in the river. It led to this link between them that they didn’t quite know what to make of.
They couldn’t remake the past and grow up together as other siblings would have.
But they could start from here.
“Well,” Hoseok breathed out, after a long silence. “I’m not a quiet person but I haven’t talked this much in a while. I might need a drink after this.”
Jimin eyed him, hearing the implied meaning. “Do you have taverns?” he asked. “I only know of the food hall.”
Hoseok gasped, horrified. “You mean to tell me that Jungkook didn’t really show you around? What was he doing? We thought we’d left him in charge of your education.”
Jimin shook his head, amused. “It might be my fault. I was… overwhelmed, at first. And he spent a lot of time answering my questions.”
“Not a valid excuse,” Hoseok said, suddenly standing up. “I have to step in, if only to show you what life is really like for us.” He looked at Jimin, the confidence he gave off not quite enough to hide his apprehension. “Want to follow me to a real tavern?”
Wonshik had grown up with him, and Jimin didn’t think of him as his brother. For that, they would have had to like each other. To work for it.
To take care of the bond between them.
Jimin smiled, and stood up.
“Lead the way.”
And so, Seorabeol kept growing around Jimin, as he discovered more and more about the city through the help of the others. Hoseok showed him different taverns, Yoongi joining them on one occasion, and he discovered some new delicacies that didn’t exist in the human world. One of which, a particularly strong sizzling brew, had given him the worst headache in his life. When asking Hoseok if he could heal himself by pushing energy into his own skull, Jimin had received a long lecture about what counted as ‘good’ uses of magic.
Namjoon was keeping him up to date with news of the war, and Jimin appreciated his honesty. The King was fighting harder, and reports indicated that he was searching for Jimin, blaming the enchanted for his disappearance. Jimin had begged Namjoon to send a letter, to show his father that he was here on his own accord, but Namjoon was a man of his word. They needed the Council’s approval first.
While listening to the others, he had also managed to piece some things together about Jungkook. Apparently, he had joined the armies as soon as he could have, and had managed to climb up the ranks extraordinarily fast. He was powerful but he also could lead, and he knew how to navigate around battles with minimal losses.
However, since acquiring this position, Jungkook had grown bolder. Namjoon never used the word reckless or dangerous but Hoseok had, one late night after a few drinks. Though Jimin couldn’t exactly tell what had happened, it seemed that Jungkook had come up too strongly in his recent attacks against the humans. It seemed odd to Jimin, that winning would be considered a bad thing, but he was starting to understand just how differently the enchanted thought about the war, and even life in general, compared to the humans.
They didn’t kill, animals or people. Instead, they led the humans away from their camps and set up traps to scare them away. That sometimes ended up with human losses, but the fairies avoided it as much as possible. Jimin had been astounded when they had told him that most fairy soldiers didn’t even have swords.
Jungkook, with his weapon and ‘Death Fairy’ title, was going against everything the fairies preached.
Jimin wasn’t sure about what he thought about that. He had been raised human, with the thought that any victory was worth the cost. And he also liked the idea that Jungkook was helping the fairies push the humans out of the forest.
However, the few times Hoseok or the others spoke about Jungkook, he could see how worried they were. The little they said made Jimin uneasy. He would have preferred to get this information from Jungkook himself.
And so, it was a relief when the day of Jungkook’s return came.
The sun was already up. Usually, Jimin would have left his room long ago but he was waiting, working on the task that had filled most of his evenings, after he’d come back from his tavern trips with Hoseok.
He felt it without even hearing it. With his hands against the wall, the change in the wood’s energy was obvious.
He stopped himself from running out of the room but had a wide smile as he opened the door.
“Hello Jungkook,” he greeted, raising his head.
The fairy had clearly just landed on his branch and looked surprised.
“Hello Jimin,” He jumped onto the deck, right in front of him. “How did you know I was here?”
“Come inside.”
He walked backwards, wanting to see Jungkook’s expression when he’d enter the room.
The fairy didn’t disappoint, his mouth opening as he took in the walls.
“I must be mistaken. I could have sworn I was just gone for a week.”
Jimin smiled. “I made progress.”
“I can see that.” Jungkook walked up to a wall and let his fingers run over the carvings. They were the same ones that adorned the inside of the Mother Tree, though the intricate knots were smaller. Since Hoseok had told him that he could carve wood with his fingers, Jimin had wanted to make the place feel more like his own.
“I asked Namjoon, of course,” Jimin said, pleased to see Jungkook’s admiration. “And he said that I should make myself as comfortable as I want. And apparently, the tree would have resisted if it hadn’t wanted me to carve it.”
“The tree very much wants you here then,” Jungkook said, looking back at him. “This is beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Jimin beamed. “Though the rest of the room still leaves much to be desired.”
Jungkook scoffed. “For a Prince, I’m sure it does.”
Jimin took the teasing in stride.
“It gave me an idea, for your first day back,” Jimin said.
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “You intend on making me work on my only days off?”
Jimin imitated his expression, raising an eyebrow himself. “I don’t think you’re the type to do nothing, even on your off days. Unless of course, you want us to sit down so you can give me news of the war.”
He had little hope that Jungkook would give him some, and wasn’t surprised when the fairy shook his head.
“What’s your idea?”
“Fine,” Jimin shrugged. “Then we’re going to the markets.”
“The markets?”
“You said you’d show them to me once, and I need to furnish this room. You can even help me carry things back. You’re stronger than I am.”
Jungkook was clearly fighting back a smile. Jimin wasn’t trying to hide anything.
“Any objections?”
“None, your Highness. Except that of money.”
“Ah!” Jimin walked up to the chest by his bed and opened it, taking out a purse. “I brought money with me, and Namjoon had it exchanged for something I can use here.”
He had wondered at first, if Namjoon wasn’t simply giving him money, but the man had assured him that some people made commerce with the humans and that it could be exchanged.
“That’s quite a sum,” Jungkook noticed. “You might be able to turn this into a palace bedroom.”
“Not quite my goal,” Jimin replied. “I am the first human-fairy Prince. I need this place to evoke the two aesthetics and create something that will work.”
Jungkook eyed him. “You might as well be talking trollish. Are you sure I’m the right person to come with you?”
“As I said, I only need a guide and strong arms. You’ll be perfect.”
Jungkook couldn’t help a laugh, shaking his head. “All right then. Let’s go.”
Jimin followed him with a smile. He didn’t know what prompted him to tease Jungkook so much, but he couldn’t deny how happy he was to see him again. Perhaps it was insensitive, given that Jungkook had been on the warfront for an entire week but it wasn’t like he was complaining, holding the door for Jimin.
In fact, Jungkook did his very best to not talk about the war. On their way to the boats, Jungkook instead asked questions about Jimin’s progress.
Jimin replied by taking one of the ropes hanging from a balcony and letting himself glide towards the forest floor.
“Are you sure this is the right date?” Jungkook said when he landed a few seconds after him. “The man I remember from last week still took my arm to cross bridges.”
“That man can now do magic as well as a ten-year-old. That’s what Hoseok says, at least,” Jimin said, climbing in one of the boats sitting on the riverside.
“They grow up so fast…” Jungkook brushed his fingers on the side of the boat, aiming for the city center. “Next time I see you, you’ll probably be sixteen.”
“Gods, I hope not.” Jimin laughed. “Hoseok told me about the surges of power that come during your adolescence.”
“But you left that behind you an entire week ago. I’m impressed.”
Jimin shook his head, amused, and leaned back to appreciate the river passing by. He sailed almost every day, on his way to the Mother Tree, and he loved the slow glide and the view every single time.
“What was it like for you?” He asked. “These surges of magic?”
Jungkook’s smile dimmed, not quite reaching his eyes.
“You become too strong for your own good,” he still replied. “And your instructors are unhappy because you brute force your way out of every fight instead of learning.” He paused, and the smile turned more genuine. “You also have trouble flying, because one wing suddenly decided to grow larger during the night.”
“Oh, I would have liked to see that.”
“You wouldn’t, trust me. I may be intimidating now but I was downright scary when I was younger.”
Jimin scoffed. “You’re not intimidating. Now Hoseok, on the other hand, can be terrifying.”
Jungkook frowned. “Did something happen?”
Jimin saw his face and realized that Jungkook was taking him seriously. “Oh, not with me! Though he can be a tough teacher. But he took me out to a few taverns and let me tell you, I don’t know why anyone would try to bother him.”
That made Jungkook smile. “He took you out to drink? Tell me more.”
The rest of the way was filled with stories of the places Hoseok had brought him to, and what had happened in each and every one of them. They may not have been that extraordinary, but everything was still new to Jimin, and Jungkook didn’t seem bored by his excited ramblings and large movements. Unless they threatened the boat’s stability, and then Jungkook’s eyebrow would furrow enough to calm Jimin down.
However, Jimin stopped himself in the middle of a sentence when the trees suddenly disappeared around them. He’d been traveling with his back to the front of the boat, and quickly turned around.
He didn’t say anything but his eyes were wide open.
Gone was the forest. They sailed under a bridge, a stone one, and were surrounded by houses. These weren’t like the rooms carved into the trees, and they almost looked like any other house that could have been found in a human village. There were a lot more people in the streets, vendors crying out, children running around their mothers, and travelers of every species Jimin had come to know about.
He'd gotten used to seeing them but it was strange to see orcs walking with elves in these paved streets, as if they were in a human city.
Jimin did a double take when he saw a couple of air fairies flying out of their own boat.
“Jungkook,” he whispered, shocked. “Look at their wings!”
Jungkook followed his gaze, confused.
“Their wings!” Jimin insisted, looking back at them. “They’re not black.”
One of them had brown wings, while the others were almost a bright red. Just when they landed, Jimin got a good look at their face. The first one had brown hair, the other was a redhead.
“Wait,” Jimin gasped, looking back at Jungkook, “Your wings are the same color as your hair?!”
“Of course it is! What did you think?”
Jimin slapped his leg, making Jungkook gasp. “Don’t ‘of course’ me! How was I supposed to know that?”
Jungkook didn’t reply and Jimin suddenly regretted hitting him. The next moment, Jungkook burst out laughing, making a few heads turn.
“And now you’re mocking me!” Jimin cried out, though he was smiling as well.
“Did you really believe that everyone’s wings were black?”
“Why would I think otherwise?!” Jimin defended himself, grabbing the deck as they came near it. “You are being so mean.”
Jungkook was holding on to the side of the boat, still chuckling. It was a rare enough sight that Jimin couldn’t be mad at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, helping Jimin get off the boat. “It’s just… The thought of someone’s wings not matching with their hair… How odd that would be.”
“What if your hair changes color, do your wings change as well?” Jimin grumbled.
“Of course,” Jungkook said. “When hair starts to grey, so do your wings.”
Which would look nice, Jimin thought. “Well, there should be a list of all the things you believe to be logical, but are not. For us foreigners.”
“Maybe you should write a book on this,” Jungkook said. “Every time I say an ‘of course’, you know it can be written down. That would make quite the list.”
Jimin eyed him. “Now you’re just making fun of me.”
Jungkook didn’t bother hiding his smile anymore.
“Should we start with the woodworkers?” He asked, changing up the subject as they walked to the street. “What do you need most?”
Jimin’s room was sparsely furnished, so they spent some good part of the day in various shops, arranging for the deliveries of a wardrobe, a second chest and a larger table with chairs to go with. The market was bustling with activity, though Jungkook assured him that the furniture shops were the quietest, and Jimin was constantly stopping to look at the work of another artisan. Every magical creature had their own style, and he ended up falling in love with the way korrigans made the wood look.
He did notice a few people with colored wings, even someone with an entirely white pair, and although Jungkook said nothing, he watched Jimin with contained amusement.
To Jimin’s request, they also visited the weavers’ market, where he met an elf he’d met a few times at the Mother Tree’s fountains. He got a great price on a tapestry there and an impressed look from Jungkook.
“I didn’t know you’d made acquaintances while I was gone.”
“I had to find other people to bother,” he replied, good natured.
It was already dark when they got back to the trees. After they said their goodbyes, Jimin went to bed sore but happy.
Jimin didn’t see much of Jungkook the next day. While they ate together and spent a few hours by the river to talk about Jimin’s progress with magic, Jungkook soon had to leave to make his report to the Council.
And just like that, he was gone again.
It was easier this time. Jimin knew that he would resume his lessons with Hoseok the next day, and that the next week would pass just as quickly.
In a strange way, the many deliveries of furniture and decorations almost made him feel like he was back home. People coming in and out of his room, furnishing it, almost reminded him of his old life. Although, he had to admit that the door of his wardrobe opened too smoothly to be humanmade. Or that the threads of his tapestry somehow glowed during the night.
Hoseok had insisted that he was the one to take Jimin to the market for clothing, claiming that Jungkook would have made a disaster out of him. Jimin thought it too busy for his taste but Hoseok assured him that it was nothing compared to the ore market, on days where shipments from the Mother Mountain came. Which, of course, made Jimin curious.
This was how he was finding himself in an arena, surrounded by a screaming crowd, while an indifferent dwarf was showing off chunks of gold larger than his head.
Luckily, he had Hoseok on one side and Namjoon on the other.
“Is dwarven gold that much better?” Jimin asked. “It doesn’t look any different from the one we mine.”
“Dwarves are too proud to sell anything less than pure,” Hoseok said. “But wait until they get the pure silver out. Now that’s a metal everyone wants and the dwarves are the only ones who can mine it.”
Jimin looked at Namjoon. “Aren’t we going to buy some?”
“Not here. We have a commercial agreement with the dwarves. They know it’s beneficial for everyone that we keep fighting the humans. We’re simply here to watch the sport of it all,” he smiled.
They watched as the dwarf, an anchor of peace in a sea of rabid buyers, took the bids by using a strange mechanism of scales and weights. Jimin expected a fight to break out at any moment but when a gong rang out, the crowd instantly quieted down, and an over-enthusiastic orc took the chunk of gold back with him. It looked ridiculously small in his enormous hand.
Namjoon leaned towards Jimin.
“I’ve spoken to a few members of the Council,” he said, his voice drowned in the noise. “In private, I mean. I believe that they are starting to warm up to your presence.”
Jimin scoffed. “I need them to do more than warm up. Do you think they’ll accept a meeting?”
“I do. We’re meant to meet up next week. If I play it right, I think I can muster enough support to bring you in front of the Council. We hold special hearings at the end of day.”
Jimin nodded. “Is this when Jungkook makes his report?”
Namjoon eyed him. “You won’t be able to watch that.”
“Of course I won’t. But… will he be there to watch my hearing?”
For a moment, Namjoon only watched the current bid come to its conclusion, two bags of gold exchanged for a beautifully carved diamond.
“Do you want him to be there?” Namjoon finally asked.
“I’d rather have a few people I know in the room with me.”
“I can try to sneak in,” Hoseok chimed in.
“Keep pretending you can’t hear us,” Namjoon told him.
“I’ll get it out of Yoongi anyway,” Hoseok shrugged, before looking at Jimin. “You’re family. He’ll back you up.”
Jimin smiled. It was the first time Hoseok so carefreely talked about their bond. Jimin realized that it didn’t scare him as much as it could have.
“I think I can get Jungkook to stay in the room. No one would dare to ask him to leave anyway. However,” Namjoon added, “We’ll need to work on that speech you want to give. You’ll have to come to my house every day after dinner.”
“Impossible,” Hoseok said, “That’s when I get Jimin to visit every tavern in the city. We’ve barely started on the markets’ streets.”
“You can come as well,” Namjoon said. “You’ll help craft the speech. I can make you tea if you’re thirsty.”
Hoseok groaned in disgust. Jimin was inclined to agree.
“Perhaps you can join us,” he offered. “We’ll need to wind down, after working so late.”
Namjoon looked at them, paused, and sighed.
“Maybe I’ll go with you. Once.”
Hoseok beamed, clasping Jimin’s shoulder.
“Look at you, already working miracles! I know we’ll get that Council to change its mind about you.”
Five days later, with a crumpled piece of paper in his hand, Jimin wasn’t so sure that Hoseok was right anymore.
He was alone, pacing in front of the large doors that stopped him from entering the Council room. He wasn’t completely alone, but the two fairy guards hadn’t even bothered to reply when he had asked when his turn would come.
He pushed the speech back in his pocket. He’d repeated it enough with Namjoon and Hoseok that he didn’t need to look at it anymore. But now, his hands were empty and they felt sweatier than before.
He had made reports for his father before but this was entirely different. He needed this speech to convince the Council, to show them that he was willing to give it his all to build something between humans and enchanted. It was either that, or he would have no purpose in this place.
He was about to turn around again when the door opened.
“Park Jimin?”
Jimin blinked. He had never been called without his full title. He wondered if the Council refused to call him a Prince on purpose, and stood taller.
“It is me.”
“Follow me please,” the guard said, leading him inside.
Jimin would have been surprised by the lack of decoration, if Namjoon hadn’t described the place in great detail already. The leaders of the magical world weren’t interested in wealth. Their only goal was to keep the peace amongst themselves, and form a united front against the humans.
The room reflected that severity. The leaders were all sitting in a half circle, and a simple dais stood in the middle of the room, to allow space for someone to plead a case, or defend oneself.
Jimin would have to do both.
He immediately caught Namjoon and Yoongi, sitting near the center of the half circle, but his eyes kept searching until they met Jungkook’s, leaning against the far back wall.
His presence was unusual, given the looks of annoyance some Council members threw his way, but Namjoon’s prediction turned out to be true. No one had dared to remove the general from the room.
Jungkook didn’t seem to care about any of it. He was watching Jimin, arms crossed. When their eyes met, he nodded.
Jimin took a deep breath, settled into the role he’d have to play, and went to stand in the middle of the room.
He made sure to look at each sixteen members of the Council, and then started.
The speech was straightforward. Namjoon had advised against using any type of sentiment to appeal to the Council. In a way, that was familiar to Jimin. He had seen generals tear up and heard nobles lament for hours, with no effect on his father.
So, as plainly as he could, Jimin told them everything. About how he had always known that he was different from the King’s other sons, but that being enchanted had never crossed his mind. That he had been sold to a foreign kingdom and thus had chosen to flee, when the occasion had come. That he was now learning as much as possible about this side of himself, and that he wanted to use his unprecedented position to help. With, of course, the help and approval of the Council. That part he did insist on.
“I can’t predict how the King will react, if I reach out to him,” Jimin ended up, “But I believe the reward far outweighs the risk.”
He let silence fall. Some members were scribbling notes, others were simply studying him, but Jimin couldn’t make out most of their expressions. He’d come to realize that every type of magical being showed emotion in their unique way, and he couldn’t know if the pixie’s quick movements were a good sign or not.
“That man,” the elf representative said, “Sometimes you call him ‘king’, sometimes you call him ‘Father’. Which is it?”
Jimin faintly smiled. “Both, and neither. He raised me and called me his son, even though I wasn’t. Part of me will always call him ‘Father’ in return. As for being my King, that habit will take time to disappear, but my allegiance was severed the day I disobeyed and left the Palace.”
“Do you think he would take you back, if you came back with vital information?” The pixie representative chimed in, voice barely audible.
Jimin didn’t want to lie. “Perhaps. Humans know so little of this world, any information would be invaluable. The question is, would I want him to take me back?”
“Would you?” The orc asked.
Once again, Jimin looked at all of them, one after the other.
“Never.” He put strength in the word. “I will not go back there.”
“Why not?” The elf asked. “You’ve been treated like a special guest, but what happens when you realize that you’re not a Prince anymore? That you’re just a normal citizen. Will you not go back to your father, when you start missing your life of luxury?”
The disdain in his voice was clear. Namjoon had warned him that the elves would be the least amenable to someone like him, a ‘half-blood’, but Jimin wasn’t scared. He’d spent a lifetime trying to justify his own existence.
“Why would I go back to a palace made of stone, now that my powers have awakened, and I can feel the life inside the tree I live in? Life in Seorabeol is far more pleasant than what I’ve ever experienced.”
The elf snorted. “That’s because Namjoon offered you a roof, and you brought your human gold with you. So, I ask again, what happens when these privileges run their course?”
Jimin raised an eyebrow. “This is exactly why I’m standing here, today. To make sure that I don’t stay on the receiving end of this world. I want to work towards helping it.”
“How?” The elf insisted. “You said that your allegiance was severed when you left. What if your King disowned you? You won’t be Prince anymore.”
A few other representatives started to look between themselves uncomfortably.
Jungkook wasn’t leaning against the wall anymore, shadows on his face as he took a step towards the elf.
As an echo, a cold rage grew in Jimin’s chest. He didn’t try to hide it.
“My father can try to disown me, I will still be a prince and an heir to the human throne.”
“He is not your father – ”
“I may not be the son of a King,” Jimin interrupted him, voice loud and cold, “But I am the son of a Queen. And she was the daughter of the old King, our lineage cannot be unmade.” He could feel the blood thrum in his temples and continued, “I am royalty, whether you want it or not, and I will have the respect you would give any representative of a foreign nation.”
There was a loud silence. Jungkook stepped back, eyes not leaving him.
“A foreign nation against which we are at war,” the elf representative noted, though less disdainful.
“Something I’m trying to stop,” Jimin retorted. “I do want your approval, but I can’t stay idle while this idiotic war is going on. I care for the losses on each side, and I’m in the best position to form a bridge between our people. Let me send a letter to my brother. He’s always opposed the war and he has our father’s ear. This would only be the first step, but we need to open communication.”
He stopped, forcing himself to unclench his fists. It was only then that he realized that the curtains on the windows were swaying, and he willed himself to calm down. The last thing he needed was to cause a storm in the Council room. He was surprised how well he had kept it contained, all things considered.
“These letters,” the dwarven representative said, speaking for the first time, “You would let Namjoon read them, before sending them?”
Jimin stopped himself from rolling his eyes.
“I would let the whole Council read them, if it meant taking a step in the right direction.”
The dwarf groaned, and Jimin was afraid that he had offended him.
“Good. I vote to let you send your letter then.”
The dwarf wasn’t the only one who appreciated a strong reply, and others nodded.
“All in favor?” Namjoon asked, and the majority of the room raised their hand, save for the elf and the dryad, which hadn’t spoken a word this entire time.
Just like that, Jimin was being led outside the room.
He hadn’t realized how tense he had been until the doors closed behind him and he felt his legs give out.
An arm appeared next to him, and Jimin immediately took it.
“Thank Gods it’s over,” he sighed, leaning against Jungkook’s shoulder. He wouldn’t have dared touching him so closely, if his heart wasn’t threatening to give out.
“That was perfect,” Jungkook said, voice low. “I’ve never seen anyone put Elyan back in his place like this before.”
Jimin let out a loud laugh, nerves giving up as well. “I had to do something before you could murder him.”
“No such thoughts crossed my mind,” Jungkook said, looking behind them, where the guards were probably watching. “Fresh air?”
“Please,” Jimin nodded, standing straighter but not letting go of his arm. “I require the largest breakfast at the food hall.”
Jungkook hummed. “Namjoon said that you hadn’t eaten this morning.”
“Try eating before a hearing like this…” He paused, then looked up at Jungkook. “I’m sorry. How was your meeting with them?”
“Well,” Jungkook looked away with a smile, “I certainly do not have your talent to make Elyan shut up. And it made me hungry as well. Let’s go.”
He was evading the subject again but Jimin wasn’t going to pry, not when he was still recovering himself.
“I might eat more than you today,” he said, letting out a loud sigh of relief when they walked outside, to a beautiful summer morning.
“I’ll be curious to see that.”
Jungkook left the next day with his letter for Taehyung. He wouldn’t be the one to deliver it to the Palace – it had been a miracle that he hadn’t been spotted on that night, a month ago now – but a pixie could get in and out of the castle without being detected.
It was in these moments that Jimin could see just how much the magical world hated this war against the humans. Namjoon was teaching him history, and while there had been war between some of their people, it had always been a more subdued conflict, based on threats, one on one duels, and the occasional trap. The humans had shown that they didn’t mind bloodbaths, and the drawn-out war could have ended a lot sooner, if the fairies had been willing to kill them in return.
Jimin couldn’t fault them, even if it was frustrating. It also helped him understand why Jungkook was being kept under such scrutiny. He was an outlier in the magical world.
Now that he was more and more comfortable in Seorabeol, Jimin could see the way Jungkook was looked by everyone around them. There was respect in their bows of course, but they were also wary of him. They were whispering behind his back, and in that regard, Jimi understood Jungkook far more than anyone else, having been the talk of the court for his entire life. Even if Jungkook never talked about what happened when he was away, Jimin knew that he would be on his side.
Still, he knew he’d never want to fight himself. He had always been secretly glad that his father didn’t send him, even if that made him an even bigger target of gossip. Namjoon had actually broached the subject with him, one evening as they were having tea on his balcony.
“You’ve been trained, haven’t you? Wouldn’t you want to be sent to combat?”
“I’ve been trained to defend myself, not to be a foot soldier. And… Well, I never killed. I’d rather keep it that way.”
Namjoon thought about it for a moment, then said, “You’re more fairy than human then, at least in that regard.”
“I don’t know,” Jimin frowned. “I don’t want to kill, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand why it is necessary.”
“Tell me then, why do you think it’s necessary?”
“What do I think?” Jimin repeated, thrown off by the question. “Well… Wars require death. They’re bigger than any of us individually.”
He could feel a sense of unease as he said the words, and Namjoon didn’t look impressed.
“That’s precisely why we don’t kill,” he said. “Individual lives can’t be discarded so easily.”
“But you still end up killing humans with some of your traps, and you’re losing people,” Jimin countered. “I hate this war but I also very much hate this stagnation, and…”
He paused.
“Please, don’t hold back,” Namjoon said. “I want to hear what you think.”
“It is frustrating!” Jimin cried out. “You could have won the war such a long time ago. Pushed the humans away once and for all, and avoided us decades of fights.”
“And covered the forest in blood.”
“It is still being covered in blood, but only the blood of your soldiers. They’re the ones who struggle with having to fight back without killing, while everyone else gets to live their peaceful little lives and keep the moral high ground. That feels… unfair.”
“Do you really believe that?” Namjoon asked. He was being gentle, but his mouth tightened into a thin line.
Jimin sighed. “I know everyone is affected. Even you, with Seokjin gone for weeks at a time. If anything happens to him…”
The opportunity to ask more about mates still hadn’t come, but he understood that one mate dying meant death for the other as well.
Namjoon looked at the shining lights of the trees, somber.
“It’s more than that,” he said. “Even when he comes back, Seokjin leaves a part of himself there. After Seokjin’s first time in battle… It is like you said, he was never the same. Jungkook even more so. And I do think you’re right in that regard, it is unfair that they have to keep fighting for the rest of us.”
“That’s why you’re advocating for me to talk to the Council.”
Namjoon nodded. “I feel like part of the Council would be glad to keep things as they are. They’re wary of change, and I need this war to be over.” He turned to look at Jimin. “I can’t be frustrated like you are about the lack of killing. This is the way of the fairies. But you… You could be our way out.”
“I hope you’re right,” Jimin sighed again, placing his tea cup down on the deck. “Taehyung still hasn’t replied…”
“Give it time. The pixies won’t go back to your palace if they deem it too risky.”
“And in the meantime, I am useless,” Jimin said, not out of self-pity but because that’s what he felt like at the moment. Especially when he thought about Jungkook, who was actually fighting.
“You don’t have to be ‘of use’,” Namjoon said. “And Hoseok’s been telling me about your progress, I know you’re using your time here well.”
“You should see the room,” Jimin huffed, “My carvings are getting better. I’m getting better at wood magic, even though I don’t know what I’ll be able to use it for.”
Namjoon sighed, amused. “Again with that word. Why do you need to use your power? It simply exists. Just like your presence here doesn’t have to be useful to be justified. You have every right to be here, to live your life.”
Jimin stayed silent for a moment, looking up at the city falling asleep.
“I may have been called ‘useless’ quite a few times in my life.” In truth, it had been his father's favorite way of describing him. “I am a Prince. I have a duty, a role to fulfil. I can’t just… be.”
“You truly believe that?” Namjoon asked. “What about your time here? You’ve been with us over a month now.”
“And I try to use it well. I’m gaining mastery over my magic, I’m learning about this world, its geography, history, social hierarchy… I would have turned mad without anything to do.”
Namjoon let out a laugh, not mocking, but a little frustrated.
“One day, I’ll pretend to send you on a mission. I’ll trick you into taking a break and you won’t do anything for a week. Pure uselessness.”
Jimin squinted. “And now, I’ll know to be wary of your dark schemes.”
They both laughed, and Jimin was glad that they could still be friends, despite seeing the world so differently.
The next time Jungkook came to Seorabeol, he was with Seokjin and Yoongi. While Yoongi came back more due to his role in the Council, Seokjin was gone often enough that Hoseok deemed it worthy of celebrating.
Which is how they had ended up in one of Jimin’s favorite tavern on a sunny afternoon.
“Isn’t it too early for drinks?” he asked, as they managed to find an empty table large enough for the six of them.
He eyed Jungkook as they sat. The fairy was quieter than usual, reserved in a way Jimin had never seen him.
“You can ask for an apple juice,” Hoseok replied. “It’s been a while since the whole family’s been together.” He pushed Yoongi against the wall, leaving enough space for Seokjin to sit next to him. It was cramped but they made themselves fit.
“The whole family?” Jimin asked. He sat between Namjoon and Jungkook, his back turned to the rest of the tavern. “Who else is related?”
“Me and Namjoon, of course!” Hoseok exclaimed. “We’re cousins.”
Startled, Jimin turned his wide eyes to Namjoon.
“From my mother’s side,” Hoseok laughed, raising an arm to call the tavern keeper. “We would have told you if you were Namjoon’s cousin.”
“We can be honorary cousins,” Namjoon said, easily going with it.
So they were all related, one way or another, either through family bonds or by being mates. Jimin smiled, a little sad. Taehyung would have perfectly fit in this chaotic group.
They ended up with mugs of ale, beer, and apple juice on the table. That last one being for Hoseok himself.
There weren’t any talks about the war. The last thing they wanted at the moment was to be reminded that they would have to go back soon. Jungkook said a few words here and there, mostly coaxed by Jimin and Hoseok. Jimin wondered if he was simply shy in bigger groups, or if there was something else to it.
The others talked enough to fill the space. Namjoon told them about a few affairs he’d been asked to solve, like a group of elves smuggling mushrooms into the city, or a tavern having to close because a group of dokkaebis had put the owner under a spell of bad luck. “Never get on a dokkaebi’s bad side,” Namjoon warned him.
After that, Hoseok talked about his students, which made the others reminisce about their own misbehaviors in their childhood. Jimin told them a few of his own stories, of him and Taehyung making their tutors run after them all around the Palace.
“You don’t miss it?” Yoongi asked. “Your palace?”
Jimin shook his head. “I only miss my brother. I hope that I can bring him to Seorabeol one day.”
“And where would you take him first?” Hoseok asked. “What’s your favorite part of the city?”
“These are two different questions,” Namjoon pointed out.
“I know Taehyung would love the markets,” Jimin said. “He loves haggling, even if he always ends up paying way more than the agreed price. The spice market especially. He loves spicy food.”
“And your favorite part of the city?” Hoseok asked again.
Jimin opened his mouth, but Jungkook spoke before him. “You can’t say the Mother Tree.”
“Why not?” Jimin cried out.
Jungkook smiled. “That’s too obvious.”
Jimin turned up his nose at him, and told the rest of the group. “In that case, I choose the bathhouse.”
They all frowned.
“The bathhouse?” Seokjin repeated, perplexed. “Out of everything in Seorabeol, the bridges, the river…”
“Well I couldn’t choose the Mother Tree so yes, it’s the bathhouse. And not just because it’s relaxing. All of these people I’d never seen in my life, it’s fascinating!”
“So you enjoy watching naked people,” Seokjin said, nodding thoughtfully.
“It’s not like that!” Jimin defended himself with a laugh. “I just – ”
Someone – another tipsy patron – stumbled into their table.
“Whoa, I’m sorry,” the man, an air fairy, groaned.
Jimin managed to hold onto his mug, but some of Namjoon’s beer spilled on the table.
“I didn’t mean – ”
“You should be more careful, soldier,” Jungkook interrupted.
He hadn’t shouted, but he had talked slowly, his voice too composed.
The drunk fairy dropped into a low bow.
“I’m sorry, General. I just – ”
“Report to your squad leader,” Jungkook stopped him again. “Drinking is over for tonight.”
He looked calm and in control, but Jimin had a hunch that if Jungkook had been a water fairy, there would have been a storm inside the tavern.
The soldier opened his mouth, wanting to protest, but his eyes finally focused on the rest of the table, mostly on Namjoon and Yoongi.
He stumbled out of the tavern without a word and for a moment, their table was silent.
“You didn’t need to do that,” Seokjin finally said. “He was…”
Without a word, Jungkook left the table and walked out as well.
Jimin looked at the others, clueless. Apparently, there was something else here he hadn’t understood.
Namjoon sighed. “Jin…”
“Are you starting to believe me?” Seokjin snapped. “He’s unstable, and it’s not getting better.”
“Everyone’s scared of him,” Yoongi added. “The rumors have spread in the camps.”
“I’m pretty sure that the soldier hit Jungkook’s wings,” Namjoon defended Jungkook.
Yoongi sighed. “Sure, but Seokjin’s right…”
Jimin barely listened to them, eyes on the door. He’d never seen Jungkook react like this, and he couldn’t believe that no one had gone out to talk to him yet.
He caught Hoseok’s eyes, who nodded towards the door.
Jimin stood up.
“Sorry, I’ll be back in a moment.”
He didn’t wait for a reply and stepped outside. He couldn’t see Jungkook, but followed his instincts and walked towards the nearby river.
As he had guessed, Jungkook was there, sitting on the grass. Jimin took a moment to watch his wings. They didn’t seem any different. However, he’d learned that there was still too much he didn’t know about this world. And despite what the others said, Jungkook had never scared him.
“Did that soldier hurt you?” he asked, sitting next to Jungkook but not close enough to touch.
Jungkook didn’t look at him, eyes on the river.
“It’s not that.”
Jimin raised an eyebrow. He’d never heard Jungkook being so curt before.
“What is it then?” He wasn’t ready to give up. “Is it because he touched your wings?”
Jungkook didn’t reply, but Jimin could see the signs. His eyes, his fists, his jaw… Jungkook was barely keeping his anger in check. Jimin didn’t know how much he could push, but he didn’t want that anger to fester.
“Did it hurt, when you took me on your back? I must have pressed on your wings for hours.”
Jungkook scoffed, still looking away. “Not the same.”
Jimin doubted that the soldier’s push had been any worse than Jimin sleeping on him, but he was willing to trust him.
“Can I do anything to help?”
That made Jungkook’s head snap towards him, but Jimin wasn’t sure he could decipher his blank stare.
“I’m no healer,” he added, “But Hoseok taught me the water trick.”
That finally got a reaction out of Jungkook.
“That’s… a very pixie thing to say.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Jimin smiled.
He craned his neck, looking at the black wings. “Where exactly did he – Oh, I see it!”
It was hard to see, but there was actually a slight variation in the left wing.
“I think one of the feathers was turned around,” he said, moving closer. “I could put it back, if you wish.”
He tried not to sound too happy. He had waited weeks for an opportunity to touch Jungkook’s wings again. He wasn’t about to let it get away from him.
“Or perhaps you should see a proper healer,” he suggested innocently.
“No,” Jungkook said, just as Jimin had hoped. “I can do it.”
“Nonsense,” Jimin immediately protested. “It’s on the back, your arm can’t reach that far.”
Jungkook looked at him in silence before opening his wing, stretching it so the turned feather was right next to him. His wing was in between them now, so close that Jimin could have touched it. But he wanted Jungkook’s approval first.
“All right, so you could do it yourself,” he admitted.
Jungkook looked more and more like himself. The anger was gone, even the coldness he’d shown the others had been replaced by the gentle smile Jimin knew too well.
“What is it, Jimin?”
Jimin sighed. Better to confess it now and be done with it.
“I just really want to touch them again.” He admitted, not even ashamed. “I don’t have wings, Hoseok and Namjoon don’t either, and it’s not like I could ask Yoongi or Seokjin to let me examine theirs.”
Jungkook blinked. “Why would you need to examine them?”
“Because look at it!” Jimin exclaimed, looking at the stretched wing between them. “It’s beautiful. And… odd? I mean, what are they made out of? Some parts look like leather, others are more transparent, and these things…” He leaned closed. “They’re not really feathers, at least not chicken feathers.”
Jungkook bit his lower lip.
“Did you just compare me to a chicken?”
Jimin fought back a smile.
“I specifically said that you weren’t a chicken.”
“Do you…” Jungkook paused, eyes fully on him now. “Do you realize that no one would ever ask that of me?”
Jimin suddenly feared that he had made a mistake, until Jungkook continued, “You saw that soldier. He was scared of me. Most people are.”
Jimin frowned, dubious. “Scared? Hoseok scares me sometimes, Namjoon too, when he starts talking about the elves. But you?”
Something dark crossed Jungkook’s face.
“Yes, me. The one they call the ‘Death Fairy’. Maybe humans have some common sense.”
Jimin huffed. “Well, you always say that I’m not human, so I’m not like them.”
“You were scared enough to follow me, back at your palace.”
“I was what?” Jimin blurted out, confused. “You think I went with you because I was scared?” At Jungkook’s silence, he continued, “I was scared of the future and for myself, but of you? Absolutely not. In fact, I trusted you enough to leave with you. Gods know why actually, maybe I should have been a little more scared to climb on your back that night. What if you’d been a poor flyer?”
“I can fly perfectly well.”
“I know that now,” Jimin nodded. “But back then… Now that I think about it, maybe you should have been a little more scary.”
Jungkook rolled out his eyes. “Just… Fine, turn the damn feather back.”
Jimin smiled. “So they are feathers.”
“If you say anything about chickens, I’ll never let you…”
“Not a word,” Jimin promised. “Now, let me concentrate.”
Before he did anything, he spent a few moments simply looking at the wing. It was remarkably complex and one day, he would ask every question he had about them. Not today, however. He was already feeling too lucky to be able to touch them again. Finally, he went for the overturned feather. It wasn’t hard to put back, but he let his fingers run across it, marveling at its softness.
It was only a moment later that he realized that they were both silent. He didn’t dare raise his eyes to meet Jungkook’s.
“Is it better now?” he asked, but his voice wasn’t so sure anymore.
“It didn’t hurt before,” Jungkook said, not much louder.
“Then why react like this?”
He didn’t want to give any credit to Seokjin and Yoongi’s claims. He preferred to let Jungkook speak for himself.
“I’ve been… on edge,” Jungkook admitted. “The Council is on me, and I can’t do what I want anymore. But when I’m in battle, I can’t – I can’t just not fight. People expect more of me, and I know that I can give them victory so…”
He sighed and Jimin finally looked up. Jungkook’s eyes were on Jimin’s hand, who was still touching his wing.
Jimin withdrew, and Jungkook’s jaw clenched once again.
“I don’t enjoy war,” he let out, voice low. “But it’s what I’m good at. And that’s why everyone, soldiers and Council included, are scared of me.”
“For what it’s worth,” Jimin quietly said, “I’m not scared of you.”
Jungkook looked up, wary.
“Not even a little?”
“Maybe at the very beginning,” Jimin admitted. “But since then, I’ve seen you lick your fingers after eating rhubarb pie – ”
“It’s the best one.”
“ – and every time a boat rocks a little too much,” Jimin continued, “You grip the rail as if your life depends on it.”
“I don’t like getting wet.”
Jimin slyly smiled and raised a hand towards the river. There, he made a ball of water float into the air.
“And look at what I can do… How could you even think that I was scared of you? It is beyond me.”
Jungkook looked between him and the floating water.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warned.
“Or what?” Jimin’s smile widened. “What will the scary General do to me?”
The look Jungkook gave him in response made his heart stop.
It wasn’t scary.
It was something else entirely, something that made Jimin want to push it.
To see if Jungkook would do what his eyes threatened to.
“There you are!”
They moved back from each other and turned towards Seokjin.
“Do you want to come back inside, or shall we bring the drinks here?”
There was always some tension between the two brothers, but Jungkook seemed to appreciate being offered a choice.
“I’ll come back,” he said, rising up.
Usually, he would offer his arm to Jimin. This time, he took his hand and helped him up.
“Jungkook,” Seokjin said, “I…”
“Not now,” Jungkook calmly stopped him. “Let’s enjoy tonight.”
Seokjin accepted it, and Jungkook didn’t let Jimin’s hand go as they walked back to the tavern.
That day marked a shift between them, though not in the direction Jimin expected.
In fact, it didn’t take any clear direction at all.
Jimin had had a few lovers at the Palace. They’d never been anything too serious but he knew what attraction felt like. He also had eyes and he could see what Jungkook looked like, more handsome than anyone had the right to be and with a smile that could melt anything when Jimin managed to get one out of him.
More than that, he could see how Jungkook looked at him. Ever since their conversation by the river, Jimin had been watching him. That is, even more closely than before. And whenever they were together – which was pretty much every time Jungkook was back in Seorabeol and not reporting to the Council – Jimin could now see how people were indeed afraid of him. It was obvious how, in return, Jungkook treated almost everyone as if they didn’t exist.
It made it very obvious how differently he treated Jimin.
And it made Jimin even more puzzled when Jungkook still kept him at arms’ length most of the time.
They hadn’t held hands since that time at the tavern, but Jungkook always offered his arm when they were together, even when Jimin didn’t need any help. He accompanied him everywhere, even when he had no reason to go to the farmer’s market or didn’t seem interested in the gnomes’ street performances that Jimin enjoyed so much.
When he kept everyone far away, it was obvious that he was hovering over Jimin. His body was always angled towards him, his eyes never straying too far, and his undivided attention sometimes made Jimin’s head turn. He’d been under scrutiny his entire life, but nothing that felt like this.
That didn’t mean that Jungkook was more open about himself. If anything, any mentions of the war made him close off and look away with a blank stare. It was a strange dance between him seeking out Jimin, but shying away every time Jimin gave him too much attention.
And still, Jungkook never accompanied him to the bathhouse. Jimin didn’t know if he should have been grateful for that one or if curiosity was getting the better of him. On the rare occasions he had let his eyes wander, he couldn’t help but wonder.
These times together were too short, and saying goodbye was getting increasingly difficult.
However, Jimin still had his days full, even with Jungkook gone. His house – he’d started calling home after the second month – was growing more intricate by the day. He was even entertaining the idea of adding another level one day. The people sharing his tree – a lovely couple of pixies – were far above enough that there was more than enough space if he wanted to expand. He’d have to ask Namjoon, but he didn’t know if he’d been here long enough – or done enough yet – to be granted such luxury.
What he had finally dared ask about, was mates.
He’d waited for the perfect moment. It was the end of an entire afternoon spent on training his skill at growing plants. While he could do it, it didn’t come nearly as easily as wood carving. Hoseok was as tired as him and they were both sitting by the river, feet lazily dangling in the water.
Hoseok had then made a small remark about missing Yoongi, and Jimin had dove right in.
“What is it, with mates?” he asked, laying down as if to look at the sky, when he was actually gaging Hoseok’s reaction. “Can’t you be separated for too long?”
As expected, Hoseok tensed a little and looked away. It was everyone else’s reaction, though he had only dared branch the subject with Namjoon before.
“Of course we can be separated,” Hoseok said, begrudgingly. “I just miss him, that’s all.”
“Oh, so it’s not different for any type of relationship then.”
He said it innocently, but was rewarded by Hoseok’s frown.
“It’s very different. We couldn’t be separated for too long at first. But it’s been years, he can leave for weeks.”
“Years since what? Your marriage?”
This time, Hoseok let out a strangled noise. “Marriage? That’s… A bond isn’t marriage. Our souls recognized each other.”
Jimin was taken aback but he didn’t want Hoseok to stop talking, so he pushed.
“That sounds… intense. Is it reversible?”
Jimin had never seen Hoseok so scandalized before, not even on the day he’d explained that humans sacrificed animals on certain religious events.
“No!” his brother cried out. “That’s precisely why our father died. One mate can’t survive alone, when the bond’s accepted by both sides.”
“So why…” Jimin was at a loss, but he needed to know more. “Why bond at all? Are you compelled to do so? Do you become mates before you bond, or only after?”
Hoseok looked at him, finally seeing that Jimin was trying to get information out of him.
“And why,” Jimin insisted as he sat down, “Does no one talk about it?”
Hoseok deflated, shoulders dropping with a sigh.
He stayed quiet for a moment and seemed to have come to a decision. “It’s… Well, it’s private. But I suppose it’s only fair that you are taught that as well.”
“It is,” Jimin nodded, rightfully annoyed. “Ever since my arrival, it feels like everyone keeps talking about mates without really saying anything about it.”
“As I said, it is private. Just like you’ll hardly find anyone willing to talk about what happens in their bed.”
“Well perhaps they should,” Jimin replied, obstinate. “Too many aren’t taught and stumble into bed without even knowing what to expect.”
Hoseok paused at that. “I guess you have a point. Having a mate has the advantage of being much more… I don’t know, evident? Clear?”
Jimin made a face.
“I know, my words are anything but,” Hoseok smiled. “But what I mean is that your body, your magic… Everything that makes you you, and what we would call your ‘soul’… It knows when someone is right for you.”
Jimin thought about it. “What makes it different from any other type of love?”
“At first, not much,” Hoseok admitted. “When I met Yoongi, I was actually in a relationship. And I loved her, I truly did. I could have lived an entire life with her and been happy. And I met Yoongi when he’d just become a soldier. Things were… difficult for him. We loved spending time together, and I could feel that everything was just easy when I was with him but as I said, I loved my partner.”
“What made you change your mind?” Jimin asked. He couldn’t say why, but talking about it made him feel almost anxious.
“One day, something happened – and I won’t tell you what, so don’t ask – but we acknowledged the bond. After that, we couldn’t go back.”
Jimin must have had a supplicative expression, for Hoseok laughed. “I can tell you how Namjoon and Seokjin bonded if you wish. They were quite the talk of the city.
“Please.”
“So, I don’t know if you realize just how powerful Namjoon is. He’s not our leader for nothing.”
“The way he controls the mood of a room…”
“That’s part of it,” Hoseok nodded. “Namjoon specializes in a type of ‘healing’ that’s quite rare, one where magic influences emotions. However… He was absolutely terrible at applying it to himself. So, while everyone knew that he and Seokjin were mates, Namjoon kept saying that they were simply ‘very good friends’.”
Jimin hid his smile behind a hand.
“So now, imagine the summer Gathering,” Hoseok said, “The biggest day of the year for the Seorabeol market. People are coming in from every part of the forest, every inn is booked, streets so full you can barely walk. The dwarves had warned us about a huge shipment of pure silver on the opening day, and the crowd was wild. So wild in fact that Namjoon had to intervene and calm this entire part of the market.”
“That’s… a lot of power.”
“It’s a type of ‘healing’ that’s quite rare, but it was effective that day. The whole neighborhood quieted down, and the dwarves were about to start…” Hoseok paused for effect, “But that’s when Namjoon realized that he had knocked Seokjin out cold.”
Jimin opened his mouth. “No…”
“Yes! Being Namjoon’s mate, Seokjin was so attuned to his magic that he simply fell down and slept like a baby – best nap of his life, he likes to say. But the thing is, it freaked Namjoon out so much that he kind of lost control…”
Jimin’s expression turned to gleeful horror.
“No way…”
“People still talk about this day,” Hoseok laughed. “The crowd suddenly received the backlash of Namjoon’s emotions, and it took hours for the city to get back to normal. Seokjin woke up immediately, and the first thing he yelled was, ‘See, I was right!’”
Jimin laughed. “I can imagine it.”
“They bonded a few weeks later, and the Council asked them to do it on the outskirts of the city so that they wouldn’t cause such a ruckus again.”
“Wait, ‘they bonded’?” Jimin asked.
“Of course, being mates and bonding are two different things.”
“And how am I supposed to know that?!” Jimin cried out, throwing his arms into the air.
Hoseok raised his hands, apologetic. “You’re right, you’re right, I’m sorry! It’s just… Your mate is chosen by… some say the Goddess, some say magic, but in any case, your mate is chosen for you. However, bonding is a choice you have to make. There are plenty of mates who don’t bond, most often because they already have someone.”
Jimin took it all in, eyebrows furrowed. “So you chose to leave the person you were with to bond with Yoongi.”
“I took a gamble. Being mates doesn’t mean that you’ll get along, any relationship requires work. Thankfully, Yoongi and I made it work. But the bond creates a link that allows you to feel what the other is feeling. It helped, when I couldn’t understand some things Yoongi did.”
Jimin contemplated what he’d just been told. There was a weight in his chest, now that he knew all of this. He was glad that Hoseok had finally answered his questions, but he still felt lost.
“I do like that,” he finally said. “The fact that you can be mates but still refuse the bond. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel forced to love me.”
Hoseok looked at him blankly.
“How like you, to feel like you’d impose on someone else,” he sighed. Though he played up his expression to look overly frustrated, Jimin thought he saw some real sadness there.
“I would want to be chosen.” He simply said. “To be wanted.” Before Hoseok could say more, he added, “Also, this means that my mother chose the bond, right?”
Hoseok nodded, understanding.
Of course, it also meant that their father had chosen Jimin’s mother over Hoseok’s.
But Jimin couldn’t help but feel some relief. Despite how things had ended up, he liked the idea that his mother had chosen love. Part of him had feared that his mother had been forced into the magical world by a bond that only his father felt, but what Hoseok had said told him otherwise. Now, Jimin knew that he was the result of a bond that had been chosen. That he came from two people who had loved each other.
“Thank you for telling me.”
Hoseok eyed him. “I thought you’d have more questions.”
“There’s already a lot to process,” he said, forcing some cheeriness he didn’t feel into his voice. “I’m still a bit curious about how different things are after a bond. I mean, in a physical – ”
“Absolutely not!” Hoseok cried out, making them both laugh. “You can’t – ”
“Sir?”
They both turned. A young messenger was watching Jimin, unsure.
“Master Park? A letter came from you from the front. Councilmember Joon gave orders that it be delivered to you directly.”
His place in the hierarchy was a strange thing. No one here called him Prince Jimin – except Jungkook when he was being playful – but they still treated him like Royalty.
Jimin stood up, but the courier hesitated.
“I’ve been told that the Council would want – ”
“I’ll vouch in front of the Council that Jimin didn’t temper with the contents of its message,” Hoseok quipped, “If that's what you’re implying.”
The young man paled. “Of course, Sir. Please, excuse me.” He bowed, handed Jimin the letter, and immediately took his leave.
Jimin looked at the letter. More than anything, he was shaken by the sight of Taehyung’s signet in the wax seal. Finally, after months of silence, he would have news from his brother. Would Taehyung hate him? Was he going to celebrate his departure?
He looked up at Hoseok.
“Do you mind if…”
“I’ll stay by the river.”
Jimin nodded, thankful, and went to sit against one of the giant trees. There, with the steady presence at his back, he opened Taehyung’s letter.
Jimin,
I’ll admit that I do not know how to start this letter.
The first thing I can say is that I miss you.
I stand by what I said, the last time we met. I’m happy that you escaped this marriage. I’m glad that you didn’t lose hope.
That being said, I am furious. Against Father, obviously. He might have taken you as his own, but what other recourse did he have? Mother was alive for six more years. What could Father have done, after her death? Disowning you would have meant that he had known about her betrayal for years without punishing her. I’d always believed that he treated you so poorly because you looked so much like her, and that your sight was too difficult to bear. Now that I know the truth, I don’t think I can ever forgive the way he made you feel like you were less than Wonshik or I.
I am, regretfully, also furious against Mother. This anger might be less reasonable, but I can’t deny the betrayal I felt when I first read your letter. I want to be happy that she knew love at some point in her life, but I already knew next to nothing about her, and it turned out that even that was false.
And then, there’s you.
I might sound civil but that’s because writing is boring.
Know that if you were in front of me, I would have smacked you before even hugging you.
You realize you have a fairy father and magical powers. You’re finally free. You found new friends, from what I gather. You have a way out of your old life, an exciting future waiting for you.
And of course, you push it aside to work towards an impossible goal.
I can read between your words, Jimin. You need to try and save everyone, except yourself! Because you know, we BOTH know, that Father won’t accept any peace talks. If you believed he’d agree to it, you would have sent a letter to HIM. He won’t back down from the war.
In fact, here’s what I can tell you. He used your disappearance to rally the other kingdoms behind him. He tells them that the enchanted will steal all of their heirs, that they’ll attack every royal family until there are none left. His armies are getting bigger and from what I’ve heard, they even made some advances in the Forest.
I talked to Father, he doesn’t care about finding you. In fact, he’s ecstatic.
My words may be harsh, but when I think about the opportunity you’ve been given and what you do with it, I wish I could shake you until you abandon these futile hopes.
And yet, I know you won’t give up. You’re the most stubborn Park, and I don’t know if I mean it as a compliment or not.
Of course, I will help you. Like you asked, I already sent word to the nobles you listed. I’ve conducted my own research and found out a few more that could help. I’m also spreading the rumor that you left of your own free will, just like you asked. This one is starting to take, especially in those who knew how much Father hated you.
As for a parlay with Father, you know that won’t happen as you propose. He would rather die than have you convince his generals about the enchanted’s desire for peace.
If you truly want to talk to him, you’ll have to force him into it. Which I know you despise, but honor won’t have much sway against Father’s hatred.
I am sorry for this response. I know it may not be what you were expecting of me, and my next missives will hopefully be less angry.
For now, take care of yourself, and try to enjoy some of this new life that has been offered to you. War will remind itself to us soon enough.
With love,
Your brother, Taehyung.
It was only a while later, and after reading it a few times, that Jimin handed the letter to Hoseok.
He handed it back a few minutes later.
“I like him,” Hoseok said. “He’s… passionate."
“Trust me, writing makes him sound tame.”
Hoseok hummed.
“So? How do you feel about what he said?”
Jimin shrugged. Perhaps he should have said something. About how some of Taehyung’s words had actually hurt. About the way he had hoped that his father would talk to him. About why he didn’t feel like he deserved to enjoy this new life…
“I will reply soon,” he said. “I don’t want to waste time, if what Taehyung said about the increasing number of attacks is true.”
Hoseok gave him a small smile. “Of course. Let’s see if Namjoon’s home then.”
Before the end of the day, they had crafted a reply and sent it back through another courier. Namjoon had urged him to add a personal message to Taehyung, one he wouldn’t read himself, but Jimin had refused. He would talk about how he feels when he’d see Taehyung again.
In the meantime, they supplied Taehyung with false information to spread amongst the human armies, so they would provide confusing reports. Most importantly, they gave Taehyung a place to meet. It was set in three months, which felt a lifetime away for Jimin, but Taehyung needed a good reason to be away from the White Palace, and they needed time to plant spies ahead of time and secure the area.
Jimin couldn’t wait for Jungkook to come back from the front. Not only to show him Taehyung’s letter, but simply to see that he was fine. He knew that his father’s efforts had led to more destruction, and Jimin was getting increasingly worried.
He didn’t have to wait a whole week to see Jungkook again.
In fact, Jungkook came for him in the middle of the night, knocking on his door while the entire forest was sleeping.
At least that’s what it felt like when Jimin opened the door, eyes barely opened, to see two dark figures looming on his doorstep.
Namjoon was in his usual clothes, but Jungkook was wearing his upper armor and looked more tired than usual.
For some reason, perhaps because he thought he was still dreaming, Jimin didn’t panic.
“I’m not making you tea at this hour,” he yawned, moving aside to let them in.
With a move of the wrist, he rekindled the fire. Burning wood had been one of the most practical skills he’d learn in the past month, and he sat next to the fireplace with a sigh.
“Why are you here?” he asked, when the two men sat on the other chairs. “You look like you just came from the front.”
“He did,” Namjoon said, “And I’m sending you both on a mission.”
That got Jimin standing straighter.
“What? Now?”
“Tonight,” Namjoon nodded. “You won’t need to pack too much, but I want you on your way before sunup.”
Jimin looked at Jungkook. “You don’t seem surprised.”
“Yoongi told me to fly back yesterday. Said I would be relieved of reporting to the Council if I didn’t ask questions.”
Jimin snorted. “Well I have questions. What kind of mission is this, and why me?”
‘If you must know,” Namjoon replied, “I don’t want Jungkook to go alone, and no one else will go with him.”
Jimin opened his mouth to say Seokjin’s name and thought better of it. He wouldn’t have trusted the two brothers alone either.
“Also,” Namjoon added, “You need to get out of Seorabeol a little. I want you to do something before the meeting with Taehyung comes up.”
Jimin blinked. “I don’t know who should feel more insulted, Jungkook or me?”
“He just said that no one will accept a mission with me.”
Jimin nodded. “You win.”
Namjoon shook his head. “I need two people that I can trust, not only to be discreet but to be efficient. You should both be flattered.”
Jimin wasn’t exactly flattered, but he was curious.
“What would the mission entail?”
“There are two squads of your father’s army that are getting a little too close from a large pool of magic. They don’t know it’s there yet, and I want it to stay that way. I want you both to go there and hide the pool, so if the humans come close they won’t see it.” Namjoon turned to Jimin. “Jungkook will tell you more on your way there, but Hoseok assures me that you have the power to do it. However,” this time, he turned to Jungkook with a warning look. “No flying.”
Jungkook frowned. “Why not?”
“The pool I’m talking about is near the intersection of the Haseom and Namdae rivers. The humans shouldn’t even be going this way. Probably just a zealous scouting party. But if they saw a soldier fly in the area, they would raise the alarm and bring more humans in the area. You know I prefer them confined in their usual spots.”
“How do we travel then?” Jimin asked, annoyed that he wouldn’t get to fly again.
Namjoon smiled. “I’ll let Jungkook show you. Now…” He stood up, putting a hand on Jimin’s shoulder. “I expect you to be back by the end of next week. I’ll send people your way if I don’t hear from you by then. Any questions”
He had a lot of them, but he trusted Jungkook to explain everything and to lead him safely through the forest. It helped that Namjoon was right, and that he liked the idea of doing something while waiting for Taehyung’s reply.
“No.”
Namjoon took out a backpack that Jimin hadn’t noticed. “Good. You leave you as you gather a few changes of clothes. I already prepared what you’ll need to sleep outside and some provisions. We’ll wait outside for you.”
It didn’t take Jimin long to prepare what was necessary. He changed out of his night clothes, cleaned a little after himself, and put out the fire before heading out.
There, Namjoon put a hand on his shoulder. “Take care of yourselves. You’ll be back in no time.”
“I’m not worried,” Jimin said, eyeing him. “In fact, I’m not sure I could be worried, even if I wanted to.”
Namjoon had the decency to look chastened. “I woke you up in the middle of the night. If I can alleviate some anxiety, I will do it. And I want you to feel calm about that mission.”
“You can tone it down,” Jimin said. “We’re still travelling at night, it will be good to at least be a little on our guard.”
“Of course. And my influence will stop once I’m too far anyway.”
They said their goodbyes then, and as soon as Namjoon was out of sight, Jimin felt the worry grow in his stomach.
“I don’t know if I like it or not,” he mumbled, following Jungkook onto a bridge.
“I don’t,” Jungkook said. “It can be useful when you need to stay calm, but we’re not being sent on a death mission.”
Jimin couldn’t see his face in the low light of the lanterns.
“How do you feel about this mission? Don’t you mind being taken off the battlefield?”
Jungkook shrugged. “If it can get me out of a Council meeting…”
He was avoiding the question, his shoulders tense. Jimin let it slide. He was still feeling some of Namjoon’s power, which helped. The night helped as well. He still found it the most beautiful time to look at the forest, with the thousands of lights floating around, though at this hour, no windows were lit anymore, and even the lanterns were dimmer. The sound of their feet on wooden decks was the only sign that there was life in the area.
They went down a tree and walked by the river for a while, to a place Jimin had never been to before. There were sounds here, heavy breathing in the dark, until Jungkook stopped in front of him.
Then, a lantern moved towards them, the shape of the woman holding it only becoming clearer when she got close.
“We were sent by – ”
“I received word,” the woman groaned. “I don’t like waking them up at night.”
A soft neigh came, not far behind her. The woman sniffed. “Somehow, this one always knows when you’ll be coming by.” She leaned to look at Jimin, unhappy. “I wasn’t told to prepare another.”
“He’ll ride with me.”
Jimin frowned. He’d never seen horses in Seorabeol, and he wasn’t sure how well he could ride in the forest. He had been taught to ride, but as an afterthought to his other lessons. And yet, the idea of riding on the same horse as Jungkook left him even more jittery.
It all disappeared when Jimin saw the animal who came for them. Taller than any horse he’d ever seen, the beast went directly to Jungkook, hitting its head against his chest.
Jimin felt like hitting him as well, though not for the same reason.
“How could you not tell me that unicorns were real?” he gasped, outraged.
Jungkook eyed him. “You told me you hated riding.”
“Horses! Not…” He turned to the keeper. “Is this one male or female?”
She snorted. “One so stubborn can only be a woman.”
The unicorn had stopped headbutting Jungkook and moved on to smelling Jimin. It was clearly careful of its horn, longer than the sword Jungkook carried at his side, but it didn’t mind pushing its muzzle under Jimin’s arms.
“Good, she likes you too,” the keeper said. “Where will you be going with her?”
Jungkook threw her a look, and the woman tsked. “Fine, but don’t push her too hard, I suspect she’s in foal. I’d keep her but…”
The unicorn whined, and the keeper shook her head. “Yeah, yeah, you like him, I know.”
“She won’t be in danger with us,” Jungkook said, a hand on the unicorn’s mane.
“I’ll hold you to that. Safe travels then.”
And with that, she left, taking away the lantern. However, the unicorn emitted a soft glow, as if its entire being was made out of magic. Which it probably was, Jimin thought, watching with wonder.
“All right,” Jungkook said. “Hand me your backpack.”
Jimin obeyed, chuckling when the animal tried to take the bags away from Jungkook. Clearly, they’d been on missions together, Jungkook gently pushing her away as he tied the two packs together. Then, he put them on the unicorn’s back, a bag hanging on each side.
“It will be easier for you to ride in the front,” he said. “I’ll help you up.”
Jimin looked at him as if he were mad. “You forgot the saddle.”
Jungkook’s look mirrored his own. “You don’t saddle a unicorn.”
The unicorn grunted, agreeing.
Jimin started to panic. “How am I supposed to stay on her back? I’ll fall.”
Jungkook smiled. “You’ll only fall if she makes you fall. She likes to do that sometimes. Come, let me show you.”
Before he could realize what was going on, Jungkook took his waist between his hands and lifted him up onto the unicorn’s back. Jimin yelped, lifted a leg at the last moment and started to slip.
But Jungkook had already climbed up behind him, and he steadied Jimin against him.
“You can hold her mane. She likes it when you comb it, actually.”
Jimin didn’t reply, feeling like he was floating. He was comfortable, but Jungkook was too close. And although it wasn’t true, it felt like Jungkook was speaking right against his ear.
For once, he wished that Namjoon was here to calm him down again.
After a moment, he dared take a hold of the unicorn’s mane, as gently as possible.
Without being prompted, she got them on their way. Jimin was about to ask how she knew where they were going, when Jungkook started speaking to her. In a low voice, he told her about their destination, and which paths he’d rather have them take. He also told her about the humans, and how discreet they had to be.
“No galloping for us this time. Especially not if you’re pregnant.”
The unicorn was extraordinary. Her head was looking forward, but her ears sometimes moved, reacting to what Jungkook was telling her. There was no doubt that she was understanding him, and she even let out what Jimin interpreted as an annoyed sound when Jungkook talked about the no running rule.
He didn’t dare move too much. He wasn’t afraid to fall anymore, not with how broad the unicorn actually was, and especially not with one of Jungkook’s arms still around his waist. This arm was precisely what made him stay still, as he didn’t know whether he wanted it to move or stay in place.
It was, in a way, the reverse of flying with Jungkook. There, he had lain on Jungkook’s back, careful of his wings. Now, he was almost leaning against his chest.
“What’s her name?” Jimin asked, needing to think about anything other than their proximity.
“Her name? Unicorns don’t speak, Jimin.”
Jimin turned around as best he could, offended. “Of course I know that.” Honestly, Jungkook could have told him that they spoke and he would have believed him. “But you must have a name for her, right?”
“They have names, but in their own language. Sujin, their keeper, could probably say it right, but I’m not about to neigh. She laughs at me every time I try,” Jungkook said, and the unicorn let out a snicker of her own in response. “I do call her ‘princess’ when she’s being nice. So, you two should get along.”
“Very funny,” Jimin deadpanned, turning his head so that Jungkook couldn’t see his smile.
Jungkook patted the unicorn’s side. “He’s a Prince as well, even when he’s not being nice.”
Jimin bit his lower lip, trying to look stern. “You’re being an idiot.”
Jungkook chuckled, and Jimin was glad he was wearing long sleeves to hide the goosebumps on his arms. He stayed silent after that, and Jungkook didn’t push it. It was still night, but the forest was far from silent around them. The night predators were hooting and prowling, though none were foolish enough to approach them.
Just like during their flight, Jimin spent the first few hours in awe. He was riding a unicorn, a mythical beast that most humans didn’t even believe existed anymore.
And just like during their flight, Jimin ended up falling asleep way too quickly, lulled by the movement and Jungkook’s warmth.
Hours later, he was woken up by the bright sun.
He yawned, mumbling apologies as he straightened up. It was only then that he realized that Jungkook had wrapped both arms around him, keeping him in place.
“I’ll be honest, I am very jealous of your ability to fall asleep in the strangest circumstances.”
Jimin blinked, still emerging from sleep.
“I don’t usually sleep so well,” he admitted. “I’m starting to think that you air fairies have a special power that makes others fall asleep.”
“Are you calling us boring?”
Jimin laughed. “I would say comfortable.”
“Now you’re just insulting me.”
Jimin chuckled, letting his fingers run through the unicorn’s mane. “If it helps, we can switch. I’m sure you need to sleep more than I do.”
“I’ll be fine. We air fairies aren’t just boring and comfortable, we’re also made to last.”
“You’ve just described an old armchair by the fire,” Jimin couldn’t help but tease.
“An armchair with a sword at its side. Careful if you sit on it.”
Jimin didn’t push the joke further, afraid that he’d say something inappropriate.
“How far are we to this pool?” he asked instead. He then turned a little, trying to catch Jungkook’s face. “And why were we sent away so suddenly? I feel like last night was a fuzzy dream.”
“Namjoon’s power can do that. He can’t help but try and take away your worries. I think there’s something else to this mission, a reason why he wanted us away from Seorabeol, though I can’t tell why. I guess we’ll know once we’re back.”
Jimin raised an eyebrow. “You seem awfully fine with it.”
“What am I to do? I’m supposed to follow orders.”
Jimin made a sound, unconvinced. “Something you’re known to always do…”
Jungkook was quiet for a moment. “If Namjoon sent us away, I want to believe that it was for good reasons.”
“So, you’re fine with being taken from the front lines? I thought you wanted to fight the humans more than anything?”
Jungkook grunted. “I’m not saying I’m happy with it. And this mission is important. I told you humans love to dry any magical pool they come across. If we were to lose the one Namjoon pointed at, it would be a disaster for that part of the forest.”
There was something unsaid at the end of his sentence, and it took a few moments for Jimin to piece it together.
“Do you wish to fight these humans? The ones scouting the area.”
He felt Jungkook’s shrug. “We can’t have humans roaming in this part of the forest. It’s too far from their usual paths, and there are other pools nearby they could find.”
“You heard Namjoon. If they know we’re here, they’ll send more soldiers.”
“Then we make sure none of them escape to tell the tale.”
This time, Jimin turned around fully to look him in the eyes.
“And how would that happen? We tie them up together until they starve?” he asked, rolling his eyes. “We have a mission and I intend to follow it.”
They looked at each other in silence, strong will clashing against each other. Jimin put a finger against Jungkook’s chest. “I know why Namjoon chose me now. It’s not just that I get along with you, it’s that I’m not afraid to tell you when you’re saying something stupid.”
“My idea isn’t stupid.”
“Of course it is, you against who knows how many humans. Even if you kill them all – and I listened to the fairy lessons and I know you don’t kill – their disappearance alone will be enough to raise alarm.”
Jungkook’s dark eyes stayed on him a few more seconds, before moving to the path ahead.
“You asked where the pool was. We should get there by midday, tomorrow.”
Jimin turned back unsatisfied by Jungkook redirecting their discussion for the hundredth time. Still, having Jungkook admit that he didn’t want to be on the mission was more than what he usually got.
The forest here looked a lot more like the forest Jimin knew. The trees weren’t as tall as in Seorabeol and there was nothing out of the ordinary in the scenery, unicorn excepted. It was difficult to overlook such an animal, however, when it navigated so gracefully through the forest. The path barely deserved the name but the ride was smooth, and the unicorn seemed to know exactly where she was going.
After a while of admiring the forest and then the animal, Jimin came to a realization. He had never traveled long distances in silence. His usual companion being Taehyung, moments of quiet were rare, and much appreciated.
Jungkook, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine with silence.
Without anything to do, Jimin’s mind started to focus on how close they were sitting, and on Jungkook’s hands still around him. They weren’t holding him as much as they were resting against his legs but as time passed, Jimin wondered if that wasn’t even worse. Jungkook’s hands were easily as large as his thighs, when he looked closely. Which he tried not to do.
He got worried of where his thoughts would take him next, if left without distraction.
“How do you pass the time when you fly?” he suddenly asked. “Don’t you ever get bored?”
“I do, but there’s not much to be done about it.”
“Can’t you talk with other fairies?”
“The wind makes it annoying. We just accept it.”
Jimin didn’t like that answer. “Do you sing, then? Soldiers have war chants, don’t they?”
Jungkook snorted. “I’ve heard the humans sing. They’re not very impressive, especially compared to us.”
That picked Jimin’s curiosity. “Show me a fairy war chant.”
“Absolutely not.”
Jimin hit his arm. “Come on. Do you have such a terrible voice?”
Jungkook hit him back. “Can’t you travel in silence?”
“We have hours in front of us, and unless the birds start making a show for us, I’m going to get bored really fast. We might as well continue my education of the magical world.”
“There are many other subjects to talk about other than war chants.”
“Fine, tell me about them,” Jimin easily said. “I wouldn’t want to force you to use your awful voice on nursery rhymes.”
“Goddess, they’re not…” Jungkook stopped, and let out a long sigh.
Jimin waited in silence, happy that Jungkook couldn’t see his wide smile. And then, Jungkook started to sing.
It was, truth be told, the loveliest voice Jimin had ever heard. He suspected that Jungkook would sound even better in a higher register, but he still managed to make the low and rhythmic chants into something beautiful. The forest seemed to reply to his voice, birds singing along while a few other animals showed their faces.
The feeling stayed, even after the song finished.
“That’s quite the imagery,” Jimin said. “Who would have thought that fairies had such bloodthirsty songs.”
“We try to scare our enemies away before we’re forced to do anything.”
Jimin hummed. “Clever.”
Jungkook waited, then huffed. “That’s all you have to say? I sang, didn’t I?”
“Oh, that you did. I was a little too busy listening to the words to really hear your voice though. You should sing another. It’s not like we’re running out of time.”
Jungkook’s puff against his neck made him shiver. He hoped he could pass it off as being cold, even if it was a beautiful summer day.
“You sing something first,” Jungkook retorted. “What are human princes taught, in their safe castles?”
Jimin winced. “Are you sure? My repertoire consists of religious chants, official hymns, and the obscene songs Taehyung loves to learn from his valet.”
Jungkook laughed. “Obscene songs first. And we have plenty of time for the rest, don’t we?”
“You’ll regret it, once we get to the Tale of the Nine Gods,” Jimin chuckled. “But fine, here’s one of his favorites, the Queen and the Bottle.”
Jungkook straightened. “You would sing about…”
“It’s about the ‘queen’ of a brothel,” Jimin stopped him. “Now hush, you won’t get through the song if you’re already impressed by the title.”
Jimin knew that he had a lovely voice and sang wholeheartedly, smiling every time Jungkook laughed at the lyrics, or gasped at a particularly crude line.
“Wait,” Jungkook exclaimed at the end, “I think we have our own version of the same song! Expect it’s a dwarven maid, and she uses her pickaxe to – ”
“Sing that one!” Jimin begged, already laughing.
They took turns singing, and it became the most interesting lesson Jimin had had about the magical world. Not only did he learn some things about the anatomy of orcs that the bathhouses hadn’t taught him, but Jungkook also sang about more serious things. He particularly enjoyed the epic tale of how the dwarves carved the Mother Mountain, and the prayer to the Goddess brought tears to his eyes. He even joined Jungkook by the end of it, and they sang it again one more time at his request, so he could learn the lyrics himself. When they sang together, the forest seemed to react even more strongly, and even the unicorn let a soft neigh by the end of it.
That night, they camped near a pond. Jimin tried to hide it, but it was glaringly obvious that he had never spent a night of his life outside. It wasn’t that he thought of the idea of eating and sleeping on the ground beneath him… but tables and beds had been invented for a reason.
“I'm sorry your Highness has to bear such terrible conditions.” Jungkook had built their fire in seconds, and he was clearly enjoying seeing him out of his element.
Jimin threw him a mean look. He would have made a witty remark but the day had left him bone tired, even with his nap.
The unicorn came back to their camp a while later. She had left as soon as they had climbed down her back, and Jimin had thought that she would sleep elsewhere. Instead, she laid behind Jungkook, who learned against her, careful of his wings.
“She really likes you,” Jimin mused, definitely a little jealous. “How come you need unicorns anyway? Don’t you fly everywhere?”
Jungkook scratched her back and the unicorn huffed, content.
“There are a few reasons that would stop us from flying. When we don’t want to be seen, like today, or if we travel with people who can’t fly themselves.”
“Couldn’t you carry them?”
Jungkook made a face. “I challenge you to carry an orc on your back, just to walk. And it’s not… Well, we just don’t often carry people.”
Jimin burned to ask why, then, had Jungkook carried him. Why he had taken Jimin on his back, when they hadn’t known each other. Had been enemies, even. If he had felt something, to have Jimin pressed against his wings for so long?
Of course, Jungkook had to ruin it. “I do make an exception for powerless princes. Especially when they’re about to cast a storm on their own castle.”
Jimin broke a piece of his bread and threw it towards him. Infuriating as always, Jungkook caught it in midair and popped it in his mouth with a smug smile.
“I can see you grew up spoiled, wasting resources like this…” he sighed, faking disappointment.
Jimin considered throwing the rest of his bread at his face but knew it would be caught again.
He slept terribly that night. It was warm and he knew he had nothing to fear, with Jungkook and the unicorn at his side, but every sound startled him awake, and he kept moving around to try and find a more comfortable position.
Jungkook didn’t even make fun of him the next morning, instead preparing him a cup of tea and giving him more dried fruits than he took for himself.
It should have been obvious what would happen, the moment they started riding again.
Jungkook wrapped his arms around him and before Jimin could protest, said in a gentle but firm voice. “You’ll be no good later if you’re this tired. Sleep.”
Jimin hesitated a little, but Jungkook brought him a little closer against his chest, and something in him simply decided that he didn’t want to fight it. Jungkook was warm, he was safe, and Jimin only had to let his head fall back and close his eyes.
It was a dreamless sleep, so deep that when midday came, and Jungkook gently shook him awake, it took longer than it should have to realize what was in front of him.
“Jungkook…” He said, while the fairy let himself down the unicorn. “This is not what I would call a ‘pool’.”
Jungkook raised his hands towards him, and Jimin was still so sleepy that he didn’t mind pretty much letting himself fall into him, knowing he would be caught.
“But it is a pool of magic.”
“No, that’s an ocean of magic,” Jimin corrected him, when Jungkook put him back on his feet. “And it’s…”
Paradise was the first word that came to mind. They were facing a small lake, surrounded by trees which, though not as tall as in Seorabeol, were taller and greener than all the others. The bank looked like the perfect place to lay down, tall grass looking softer than his own bed. All of this, combined with the fact that the water was actual liquid magic, beautifully glowing under the sun, made Jimin pause in awe.
“This pool provides a large area with magic,” Jungkook said, snatching some tall grass to rub the unicorn with. “Without it, nature would lose its shine, animals wouldn’t feel so safe, and magical beings would slowly lose their power. This is why it’s so important to protect it.”
Jimin made a face. “And I’m supposed to hide it?”
“Temporarily. And it’s not going to affect it, so no need to worry.”
“I worry if I can do it at all.”
“It’s not as hard as you think.” Jungkook removed his backpack and handed it to Jimin. “We'll camp by the water. I just need to finish cleaning her up first.”
The unicorn huffed, enjoying the treatment. Jimin gently brushed the side of her face with a smile. “Thank you for getting us here safely. Best sleep I’ve had in months.”
She replied with a headbutt against his shoulder, and Jimin went to put their backpacks down. He chose a spot close to the pool but between two large trees, where they could remain fairly hidden if anyone were to pass in the area.
Seeing the large tree trunks, he had an idea.
“What are you doing?” Jungkook asked, still brushing the unicorn.
“I am not having a repeat of last night,” he replied, hands against one of the trunks. “I suppose we won’t get this done in a day?”
“No.”
Jimin closed his eyes, focusing on the magic inside the tree. “Then I will require some actual sleep.”
Weeks spent carving his own bedroom had been good training, and this tree was nowhere near as thick as his own. Slowly but surely, he started carving a sort of nest in the trunk. Hoseok had told him that this was what water fairies did, when traveling away from home, and could see the appeal of building himself a safe place for the night.
He opened his eyes when he heard splashing sounds, and saw that the unicorn had had enough of Jungkook’s treatment, and had decided to simply jump inside the pool.
“She can do that?” The unicorn then started to drink the glowing liquid. “That can’t be good for her.”
“She’s not like you and me,” Jungkook said, kneeling next to his backpack. “Drinking it is fatal, in most cases. But you could swim in it. It’s not accepted at the Mother Tree but out here, people do it to gain some temporary power.”
Jimin looked at him in silence, slowly grinning.
“Just your hands,” Jungkook warned him. “It’s your first time, and some people get restless until the extra magic fades.”
“I’ll be careful!” Jimin yelled, barely hearing him. He ran towards the edge of the pool and knelt. He hesitated and put his fingers in. When he barely felt anything, he decided to plunge his arms inside, up to his elbows.
“Goddess,” he heard Jungkook groan.
He stood up, took a step back, and let out a laugh when a shiver ran up his arms. He wiggled his fingers, amazed to feel the rush of power that wasn’t his own.
He ran back to the tree, unable to contain his laughter. “I’m starting to feel it!”
When he touched the trunk, the magic inside the tree burst into his hands. The bark bent under his fingers as if it was butter and Jimin let out a cry of pure joy.
“You’re going to be unbearable.”
“You mean an even greater pleasure to be around,” Jimin corrected him, gleefully feeling the tree bend to his desire. “I understand now, why the babies who are dipped inside the pools in the Mother Tree laugh so much when their parents take them out. It tingles.” He paused, thinking. “What does it feel like for you? Does it make you stronger?”
He looked behind, caught a glimpse of Jungkook gathering rocks for their fire, and swore loudly when he cut out a large branch without meaning to.
“Look at your hands before you fell the entire tree,” Jungkook chastised him.
“That’s wood for the fire.”
“I’m sure it is,” Jungkook snorted. “And to answer your question, yes, it makes us stronger, but also less able to control ourselves. You can let the magic out, but for air fairies, it gets trapped inside you until it naturally drains out. Not the most pleasant feeling… Are you building a bedroom? You can stop there before you cut the tree in half.”
“I can feel the entire tree, I know what it can endure,” Jimin said, with a little pride. “And I need more space, we wouldn’t fit as it is.”
“We?” Jungkook asked, puzzled.
“Of course ‘we’. I didn’t sleep at all last night, I could see you waking up every time I moved and making the rounds around camp. You’ll sleep better if you feel safe as well.”
The opened space was now large enough for them to both sit inside and had enough room over their heads. There was even space for their backpacks.
Jimin put his hands on the bark, and vines started to grow, falling down and covering the opening.
“A campsite fit for a Prince,” Jimin announced, proud of his work. “Better than a tent.”
Still buzzing with energy, he snatched his and Jungkook’s belongings and took out their beddings and covers to roll them out on the newly made space.
“You’ll have to remove your shoes before coming in, I don’t want this to get – You sighed again,” he suddenly said, “That’s quite rude, you know.”
“I’m just thinking how hard it’s going to be, to have you focus later. You know, when you’ll need to do your actual mission.”
“Nonsense,” Jimin mumbled, suddenly noticing a corner that needed polishing. “I’ll just put my hands in the pool again.”
It wasn’t, as it turned out, as easy as that.
Jungkook had made him sit by the pool, hands on the grass.
“There’s earth under the water. You need to close your eyes and search for it with your magic. The goal is to make plants grow tall enough to hide the pool underneath.”
“Hiding won’t be of any use, if soldiers actually step on it,” Jimin remarked, opening one eye.
“Humans hate open fields of tall grass, they know snakes often hide there. They’ll go around. Even if someone falls in the water, they’ll just think it’s a bog and avoid it even more. Close your eyes.”
Jimin huffed. It was easier said than done. Jungkook had been right – of course he had been – and Jimin couldn’t focus on the task at hand. Not when his hands were still buzzing with unused energy. Not when plants were his weakest point, compared to wood or water. And not when Jungkook had decided to sit right behind him and speak in his ear with his distracting voice.
That last part might not have been exactly true, with Jungkook sitting at a perfectly reasonable distance from him, but his voice did make goosebumps erupt on Jimin’s arms. His hope was that he could blame magic, if Jungkook were to notice.
As if on purpose, Jungkook lowered his voice even deeper. “You won’t do the entire pool at once, just focus on a small part. Magic is flowing between you and the plants, you just have to reach out towards them.”
“How would you know?” Jimin asked, genuinely curious.
“I can feel it too. Not like you of course, but… My wings, they’re sensitive to magic.”
Which gave an idea to Jimin. He shouldn’t have, of course, but he burrowed his fingers in the soil and reached out, just like Jungkook had told him to. Unlike what he’d been told to do, Jimin followed the magic in the other direction, and was astounded to find that he could, in fact, feel the two points where Jungkook’s wings were touching the ground.
He bit his lower lip, hesitated a moment, and gave in to his instinct. Following the magic’s flow, he felt how strange, and wonderful, Jungkook’s wings were. How good it felt, to let his consciousness reach out and –
“There’s an actual river a hundred feet away and I’ll throw you in it.”
Jimin retracted back to his own body. This time, he had the decency to feel ashamed.
“I’m sorry. I… I can’t do this. Not now,” he finally admitted. “My mind keeps wandering to what it finds more interesting and right now, grass is the last thing on my mind.” He turned back to look at Jungkook. “Was that a tear I felt, in your left wing?”
“We’ll have to find a way to get that magic out of you,” Jungkook said, standing up. “We’ll try again with the pool tomorrow.”
“Jungkook.”
The fairy paused and looked down at Jimin, still sitting on the ground.
“An arrow,” Jungkook admitted, looking away. “A healer took care of it.”
Jimin frowned. “He didn’t do a good job.”
Jungkook hesitated, but Jimin found that he did have some patience left in him after all. He didn’t say a word until Jungkook sighed.
“He did the best he could while I was out of it. When I woke up, I… might have told him to stop. I told you, I don’t like it when… Don’t look at me like that.”
Jimin tried his sweetest smile. “You just said I need to find a use for the leftover magic. You can’t be comfortable with that wound not fully healed.”
“And you know a lot about wings’ anatomy.”
Jimin wasn’t about to tell him that he had read every book in Namjoon’s library on the subject.
“Magical transfer can help a great deal because your wing will know how to repair itself,” Jimin recited from Hoseok’s lesson. He stood up and took a step closer to Jungkook. “What I glimpsed of your wings through magic, it was so incredible! I know I can help…”
Jungkook raised a hand. “Jimin.”
That tone admitted no debate, and Jimin. He shouldn’t have tried it in the first place, and he certainly shouldn’t have insisted.
“Fine,” he said, standing up. His chest hurt. “What should I do then? I could try to carve another tree for you, if you want your own space.” That was the last thing he wanted to do, but he deserved nothing else after what he had done. “I should have asked earlier, instead of making one giant space inside – ”
“Jimin.”
“I’m sorry,” he said again, a little more desperate. “I shouldn’t have reached out with my magic. I didn’t know how intrusive it would be for you.”
Jungkook’s jaw clenched. “It’s not - I…” He seemed frustrated, and Jimin felt the guilt deep in his chest. “I am… defective,” Jungkook finally said through his teeth. “Don’t feel bad because of that.”
Jimin opened his mouth to argue, but Jungkook continued, “Do you really want to help?”
“Of course,” Jimin said, still stuck on how Jungkook had called himself ‘defective’.
“Then I know what you can do.” He walked up to the closest tree and put his hand on the trunk. “I don’t think you know this, but our armors are made out of bark.”
“Hoseok showed me.” Jungkook seemed surprised, so he added, “He knows my magic reacts well with wood, and I was asking a lot of questions about the war.”
The implication was obvious. With Jungkook never talking about it, Jimin had asked someone else.
“Have you ever carved one?” Jungkook asked.
“He simply gave me one to observe. I’m not going into battle anytime soon.”
“And that’s a good thing, but mine was broken last week.”
Jimin frowned. He didn’t like being reminded of how much danger Jungkook went through when he wasn’t in Seorabeol.
“Same day you took that arrow in your wing?”
“Different day, same battle.” Jimin hated how light Jungkook sounded. “I was going to get new armor, but you could make one for me instead.”
Jimin wondered if Jungkook was making him run around in circles for no reason. He didn’t want his wings touched, but the process of making armor involved just as much contact, for a longer period of time. Hoseok had explained the process, and it wasn’t hard in itself. He’d have to gather large pieces of bark from a tree, cut them to make them fit Jungkook, and fuse them together with magic to make it stronger. The fact that Jungkook’s old one had been broken was a statement to how much he must have endured in battle.
“You don’t have to – ”
“I’ll do it,” Jimin said. “And you can still get a new one if mine’s terrible.”
“Hoseok’s been singing your praise to everyone who wants to hear it. I’m sure you’ll manage.”
Jimin huffed and walked up to a tree, magic already at his fingertips. He didn’t know why he was getting frustrated…
Actually, he knew why. It was Jungkook’s running hot or cold in the span of a few seconds, one moment opening up, the other refusing to talk about it at all. It was him constantly touching Jimin, but never allowing it to go any further. It was the way he looked at Jimin, while keeping him at arm’s length.
Large pieces of bark fell one by one into Jimin’s hands. He understood now why people didn’t regularly bath in pools of magic. The flow of energy was strong, making it easy to cut the shapes he wanted to.
But the excessive power also made his emotions unstable.
With Jungkook standing right there, it was easy to bring up a few pieces over his chest. Jimin made him raise his arm to fix the first two pieces together. The bark was thin, but filling it with magic made it both supple and incredibly strong.
“You’re doing great,” Jungkook said, cutting through the silence. “Are you sure you didn’t try with Hoseok?”
“He made me build a small raft.” Jimin explained. “I didn’t like the idea of making armor.”
“You’re making one now.”
“You asked,” Jimin said. “Because you’re apparently in such danger that you broke the old one. How would that happen?”
Jungkook didn’t reply to that, and Jimin kept working.
He had spoken to Namjoon about it, about why soldiers didn’t talk about the war. About fear and guilt, about how they wanted to spare those around them. Jimin knew he could never fully understand, not without sharing this experience himself. But even if he understood why Jungkook didn’t talk about it, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
He had talked about himself at length. About his frustrations and his fears, and even the way his father had treated him, when they’d sat on his balcony at night. And to his credit, Jungkook had listened, always asking questions, always interested. But every time Jimin tried asking, Jungkook shut himself up.
It would have been easier to let go, if Jungkook wasn’t clearly hurting because of it. The wound Jimin had felt on his wing, or the way he jumped when someone made a loud noise… Jimin wished he could have alleviated some of that, and hated feeling like there was nothing he could do.
Building this armor… It felt like helping Jungkook hide himself again.
It didn’t help that he had to walk around Jungkook multiple times, taking a wide berth so he did not touch his wings when he cut the pieces that would go behind. Jungkook’s chest wasn't any better, not when Jimin thought about how well he had slept laying against it earlier in the day.
It certainly didn’t help that Jungkook’s eyes were entirely focused on him. They always were, because Jimin wasn’t blind, but the growing tension made him even more jittery. He avoided looking back, but it was difficult when he was standing so close.
Jungkook must have realized that Jimin was in a foul mood and didn’t speak again. The magic from the pool certainly wasn’t helping, and Jimin was desperately trying to push as much of it inside the wood in order to get rid of it.
But it seemed like an endless reserve, and wind was rising around them. Jimin hadn’t lost control for weeks, and the fact that it was happening now ironically made him even angrier.
“It’s getting late,” Jungkook said, strands of hair flying in his eyes. “I should make us something to eat.”
He didn’t point out the obvious magical nature of the storm around them, and Jimin was too angry and ashamed to do it himself.
He put the half-finished armor against a tree. “Sure.”
He excused himself and walked away for a while, going much farther than necessary in hopes of calming himself down.
It would have been easier not to care, if Jungkook hadn’t cared about him either. But Jimin had seen this dance before. He knew what could have happened, if Jungkook didn’t retreat into himself every time they got too close.
He should have let this go, and accepted that Jungkook didn’t want him.
He let out a loud swear when rain started to fall.
The sky was darker when he came back to camp, and Jungkook was sitting in front of the fire, drenched.
There and then, Jimin decided that he’d had enough.
“Would it be better if I fought alongside you?”
Jungkook looked up, confused. “What?”
“Would you prefer it, if I was a soldier? Would it help you talk about it?”
Jungkook stood up, eyebrows furrowed and hair swaying around his face. “Is this because I didn’t let you touch my wings?”
Jimin didn’t want to lie. “Partly. But it’s also the fact that you won’t answer any of my questions.”
“All I do is answer your questions,” Jungkook said, getting worked up.
“About the magical world!” Jimin exclaimed. “Not about you.”
Jungkook huffed. “Why would I do that?”
“Because I do! All the time!” Jimin exclaimed, frustrated. “I tell you about my days, about my family, about how I feel… And every time I ask about you, you deflect or ignore me outright!”
“What would you want to hear?” Jungkook retorted, jaw clenched. “That my parents are dead? That I hate the war? Everyone’s life isn’t as innocent as yours.”
“Oh yes, my life is perfectly innocent,” Jimin said, hands clenching into fists. “And that’s why I ask. Would you prefer it if I was a soldier like you?”
Jungkook shook his head with a derisive laugh. “That’s ridiculous.”
“It is?” Jimin pushed his hair back, wet from the rain. “Because from where I stand, you always push me away when it comes to war. If I were to fight – ”
“I push everyone away!” Jungkook interrupted him. “I don’t like anyone touching my wings, and I don’t talk to anyone about the war, soldier or not.”
“Well I’m not anyone,” Jimin pushed back. “And I want you to talk to me.”
His chest twisted when Jungkook’s expression turned mean.
“Why? Because his Highness wants it, I should rip away everything that makes me who I am? Is that an order?”
Jimin took a step forward, his finger pointed at Jungkook.
“Don’t make me into someone I’m not,” he warned. “I want you to talk to me because I hate it when you keep me at arm’s length.”
Jungkook crossed his arms in front of him. “You expect me to treat you differently from everyone else.”
“You already do!” Jimin cried out.
Jungkook snorted, and Jimin stepped forward again, pushing his finger against Jungkook’s chest.
“Lie to yourself all you want, but don’t laugh at me.” He was glad for the rain, for his eyes suddenly burned. “You do treat me differently. But every time I ask for more, you push me away. Why?”
He suddenly regretted saying anything. There was no turning back now, they couldn’t ignore what he was saying.
Despite the hole in his chest, Jimin thought that Jungkook looked even more terrified than him, face paler than he’d ever seen.
Jungkook stepped back.
“I can’t give you more. You want too much.”
Jimin wanted to laugh, but the sound he made was anything but. He thought he had learned to handle rejection better than that, but Jungkook’s words landed precisely where it hurt.
“Truly?” he asked. He needed to be certain, before he abandoned all hope. “The way you treated me, I imagined it?”
Jungkook looked away, rubbing his chest. They both looked miserable, drenched from head to toe.
“Is it because I’m human?”
“Of course not,” Jungkook replied. “I’m just… I don’t want any distraction. Not while the war is still going on.”
Jimin opened his mouth to protest. To say that he wouldn’t be a distraction, or a burden…
He closed it. The rain, finally, stopped falling.
“All right,” he said.
He paused, looked around, and went to grab his belongings from the tree he’d carved earlier.
“I’ll make another one for myself.”
“You can keep this one,” Jungkook said. “I’ll sleep by…”
Jimin raised a hand. “I think… I would rather not talk. At least not tonight.”
Jungkook looked even paler than before.
“You should eat something,” he said.
Jimin ignored him.
Part of him, the part that still begged for a fight, felt some mean pleasure at being the one refusing to speak, for once.
He went to another tree and carved himself a new space. It was much smaller than the first, but that was because the magic that had plagued his afternoon finally ran out.
He had made the opening facing the pool of magic, and munched on some of the provisions from his bag while watching at the pool’s soft glow in the night.
It was only when he lied down and put his blanket over his head that he let the tears fall. He tried not to make too much sound, with Jungkook so near.
He fell asleep like this, with hand over his chest, hoping to make it feel a little less empty.
The next few days passed in a blur, identical to each other.
Jimin spent most of his time by the pool. Now that he hadn’t any foreign magic left to distract him, he managed to follow the advice Jungkook had given on their first day, and focused on small sections of the pool at a time, making the plants grow in size and number.
Every day, it looked as if the pool had shrunk, and its glow at night got dimmer and dimmer.
Jungkook spent most of his time scouting the area and foraging for food. He had reported seeing human troops, though they didn’t seem to be heading their way yet.
They talked, sometimes. It was nothing like what their relationship had been, but Jimin refused to become a monk with a vow of silence simply because he had been rejected.
Jungkook didn’t want him, and he had to make his peace with it.
It didn’t stop the pain or even the anger from resurfacing. The worst part was that Jungkook also looked like he was struggling, and Jimin sometimes wanted to scream at him, to say that he had no right to look that miserable when he was the one who had closed that door.
The unicorn showed herself sometimes. Jimin tried not to resent her, but the fact that she came to Jungkook more often, comforting him, added to the wound he was trying to ignore.
The half armor stayed in the grass, abandoned.
Jimin knew he shouldn’t have focused on that, but Jungkook’s words kept repeating in his mind. About his ‘princely’ behavior, about him wanting too much… He knew Jungkook had demons of his own but as the days passed, Jimin could only feel his chest grow heavier with shame and guilt.
Suddenly, he found himself doubting every relationship he had made in Seorabeol. If he wasn’t imposing himself on Namjoon, and especially on Hoseok.
By the time the pool was covered, four days after their arrival, Jimin wondered if going back to Seorabeol was a good idea at all. The only person he was sure had always wanted him was Taehyung. Though, if he thought about it too long, Jimin knew from his last letter that his brother hadn’t taken well to his disappearance. And it wasn’t like he could go back to the Palace either.
When the moment came to leave, he climbed on the unicorn’s back with Jungkook. He had determined that he would stay in Seorabeol as long as needed to help stop the war, and that he would be on his way when that was done.
The ride back was excruciatingly slow. Having to sit close to Jungkook didn’t have the same appeal anymore, and he tried to sit as straight as possible to keep some space between them. They didn’t sing this time, and Jimin had to pinch his arm to keep himself awake. Jungkook didn’t put his arms around him.
They arrived in Seorabeol at night, and Jimin’s back screamed at him when he set foot on the ground.
He took his backpack, watching Jungkook take a brush from a nearby rack.
Part of him wanted to leave him without a word. Jungkook hadn’t tried to initiate any meaningful conversation since their fight, and Jimin foolishly resented him for it.
The other part, the part he wished he could smother, asked, “Are you leaving soon?”
Jungkook, who’d been about to start brushing the unicorn, lowered his hand.
“I’ll have to see Namjoon tomorrow to get my new orders,” he replied. He was speaking carefully, as if any of his words could set off Jimin. As if he was afraid to hurt him.
“No Council this time, then. You must be glad.”
Jungkook would have smiled before. He didn’t smile now.
“Namjoon usually keeps his word. I should be gone by midday.”
And the next time he’d be back in Seorabeol, Jimin knew that he wouldn’t seek Jimin out anymore.
“I see.” He waited, and when Jungkook said nothing more, nodded. “Goodbye then.”
He turned around when he heard Jungkook sigh.
“Jimin.”
Jimin looked back, silent. If he listened to himself, he would go to him and beg to be held in his arms. But Jungkook had told him that he wanted too much, and Jimin stayed still.
Jungkook’s fingers were holding the brush so tight his knuckles were white.
“Take care of yourself,” he finally said, seeming to regret the words immediately as he looked away.
‘Take care of yourself’. As if Jimin were the one going back to war.
He nodded, too tired for anger.
“You too, Jungkook.”
He left.
For the first time, the lights hovering above made him want to cry. All these houses, filled with people spending time with their loved ones, hurt in a different way now.
Jimin was going back to an empty room. One where the only signs of life were the ones he had carved for himself.
Would Hoseok and Namjoon truly miss him, if he were to take his backpack and leave? They’d known each other for close to three months now and had welcomed Jimin more than he deserved, as a human, but they both had lives of their own.
At the next crossroads, he paused. What if he did leave?
Too tired to think, he let his feet carry him back to his room.
Taehyung had told him not to lose hope. Right now, it wasn’t hope that was guiding him. He had no choice but to stay here and work from Seorabeol. At least for now.
He didn’t sleep much better that night than by the pool, and he was up before sunrise after barely a few hours of sleep.
He waited a few more hours before leaving the house, looking for Namjoon. He wanted to report back and especially, know if Taehyung had replied to his letter.
But Namjoon wasn’t home, so Jimin decided to get breakfast first. However, the moment he walked into the food hall, he knew something was wrong.
People were watching him warily, people he’d known for months now, and who had never showed a sign of hatred. Until today.
Jimin had no patience left in him. The moment a waiter came for him, he asked, “What is happening?”
The elf, the same one who’d been serving food to him and Jungkook, glared. “Don’t act as if you don’t know.”
“I was away for a week,” he replied, barely containing his anger. “I do not know.”
An air fairy of a certain age, sitting right next to them, stood up. “You should pass by the infirmary. Your people did a number on us.”
Jimin bristled. By ‘his people’, he knew he wasn’t talking about the fairies.
He walked out without eating anything.
The war couldn’t have gotten so bad in the space of a week, he tried to reassure himself, taking one of the ropes leading down.
Hoseok had shown him where the closest infirmary was, but he’d never had any occasion to visit before.
The building wasn’t that large, but there were voices coming from inside that bode nothing good. Jimin was as good as Namjoon when it came to feeling emotions, but even he could tell that there was a lot of pain coming from within.
The moment he stepped inside, he regretted his decision. The sounds were so much worse inside, groans and moans of pain, as well as the hurried voices of the healers who were trying to make things better.
“Bring this one to the Northeast infirmary, we can’t take anymore,” one of them was saying to a soldier.
“That’s where we came from!”
A young woman ran past Jimin, carrying bloody rags.
There were so many soldiers that some were laying on the floor, and the smell… Some of these people were dead, or close to, and there was no one to take care of them. Jimin took a step back, a fear he’d never known taking hold of his heart.
His people had done this.
Someone swore loudly.
“And now you show up as well!”
It took him a few moments to realize that Seokjin was in front of him. His hands and clothes were bloody, but it didn’t seem to come from him.
“What happened?” Jimin asked, pale.
“You shouldn’t be…” Seokjin looked to the side and swore again. “Come.”
He took Jimin’s arm and brought him up a staircase. There was a corridor with closed rooms upstairs but Seokjin stopped him when Jimin tried to go further. They stood there, right on the last step.
“You need to go back to your room,” he scowled. “It’s not safe here.”
He had left a bloodied handprint on Jimin’s shirt.
“Why? What happened?” Jimin asked again.
“What happened is that your brother was right,” Seokjin said. “The humans have made an alliance, and they have the advantage.”
Because his father had told everyone that Jimin had been kidnapped.
Seokjin seemed to see something in him, and he became angrier.
“Don’t even think about making yourself a martyr. You’ll only make it worse if you go out there.”
“I can’t do nothing. Especially when it’s my fault and – ”
“The humans didn’t wait for you to start killing us,” Seokjin interrupted him. “We knew this could be a possibility when you came to us.”
Jimin flinched when a scream came from downstairs.
“You need to go back to your tree and stay there for a while. Your mission was supposed to be longer.”
Jimin frowned. “It took less time than… Wait, was I sent away on purpose?”
“If it makes you feel better, you were both sent away on purpose,” Seokjin grimly replied. “You might be half fairy but right now, people will only see the other half. We had over a hundred deaths this week. That hasn’t happened since… I don’t even know. But you can’t show yourself for now.”
Jimin leaned against the wall, disoriented. “Where is Namjoon? I have to do something.”
“You don’t understand, there’s nothing to do. We’ve retreated for now, and we’re leading the humans towards less populated parts of the forest.”
“They won’t stop following you…”
“Of course, they won’t. But you’re not going to do anything without the Council saying so, so go back to your room and wait there.”
“What will happen to Jungkook?” Jimin asked. He had trouble breathing.
Seokjin’s face darkened, and Jimin knew that he had asked the wrong question.
Downstairs, one of the healers called for help.
Seokjin put a finger against Jimin’s chest. “You go back. Now.”
But when he tried to grab his arm again, Jimin jerked back. There was enough blood on him already.
“Goddess,” Seokjin started, “You…”
Another healer called for help and Seokjin threw him a last warning look before running downstairs.
Jimin stepped back into the corridor. He didn’t know what he was hiding from the most, the screams, the smell, or the looks people would throw at him when he’d go downstairs. He didn’t want to hide but he was, despite what Seokjin had said, undoubtedly responsible for this.
He thought for a second about offering to help heal the wounded, but the cold truth settled over him. Not only did he have no real medical knowledge, but no soldiers would want to be healed by him.
Voices made him stop, from the furthest room in the corridor. It wasn’t cries of pain coming from behind the door, but shouts of anger.
And he knew these voices.
That was why Seokjin had kept him from going into the corridor.
Jimin couldn’t help himself. He stood behind the door, and listened.
“ – see that you were doing so much better. You were finally in control again!”
Namjoon. Sounding more emotional than Jimin had ever heard him.
“This army doesn’t need control. It needs strength!”
Jungkook. Furious in a way Jimin didn’t know he could be. It was as if he could feel Jungkook’s anger radiating through the door.
“You won’t save this army alone.”
“I could have slowed them down, if you hadn’t sent me away on that stupid mission.”
“Someone had to do it. You should have used the opportunity to talk to Jimin, to – ”
“Do not manipulate my emotions!” Jungkook roared. “You shouldn’t have kept us away on purpose.”
“It was better than the alternative, which is you and Jimin being self-sacrificing idiots!” Namjoon shouted that last part, fed up. “So what? You would have gone and killed again, and Jimin… He’ll want to talk to the humans as well. My only regret is that I didn’t send you further away!”
Jimin didn’t know if he could trust what he’d just heard. ‘You would have gone and killed again’, Namjoon had said, but that couldn’t be right.
Jungkook was a fairy, he couldn’t have killed anyone.
There was a silence, and Jimin imagined the two fairies facing each other, while his own heart was beating in his ears.
“You can’t let Jimin meet his family yet. They’ll kill him.”
A sigh.
“What happened, back there? I can feel – I’m not manipulating you, don’t look at me like that! I can feel that you’re wrong. Back to what you were when you were losing control and – ”
“Nothing happened.”
“Liar,” Namjoon immediately called him out. “I don’t even need my powers to feel what - ”
“Nothing happened!” Jungkook shouted. “I can’t get distracted, not when we’re losing so many of our own.”
“He’s not a distraction!” Namjoon cried out. Then, a pause. “Did you reject him? Is that why you’re so ready to throw yourself into battle?”
“Any time here is lost time.”
Jimin put a hand on the wall, holding himself up. It shouldn’t have hurt this much.
“I know you and Yoongi told the Council to make me report every week, but that’s over. I am the best weapon this army has, and I’m leaving.”
Jimin couldn’t even move when he heard footsteps coming his way, paralyzed.
“You can’t kill. You’ll lose yourself, for good this time.”
“If it turns the war in our favor…”
The footsteps resumed and the door opened.
Against all odds, Namjoon was the one behind it.
He had dark circles but his eyes were burning. He didn’t seem surprised to see Jimin standing there, rooted in place. He must have felt his emotions, even through the door.
“Make him stay,” he ordered, hard like he’d never been before. “I’ve done all I can.”
Jimin thought it unfair, the way Namjoon walked out of the room and left them both alone.
Jungkook wasn’t watching him, but he wasn’t running away either.
Jimin stepped closer, a weight in his stomach. What could he possibly say or do that would make Jungkook stay? He was a waste of time, and had been rejected enough to know when to stop trying.
And yet, Namjoon counted on him. And he feared what would happen if Jungkook did leave.
He stopped a few feet away from Jungkook and asked, “What happened, before you found me at the Palace?”
Jungkook turned to face him. His eyes were dark, and it reminded Jimin of that first night, when the fairy had come into his room with the storm raging outside. The sky was clear, right now, but Jungkook’s eyes were just as wild.
“I keep hearing that you ‘lost control’. What happened?”
Jungkook sighed, impatient. Jimin was wasting his time, and it was hard to ignore the pang of hurt.
“Will it happen again if you leave now?” Jimin insisted, unable to stop.
“It doesn’t matter!” Jungkook burst out. “I don’t care if I have to kill hundreds of them, we need to win!”
Jimin opened his mouth, horrified. “Of course you care, you’re not a monster! It won’t be worth it.”
“This is…”
Jungkook didn’t finish his sentence and tried to step around.
Jimin put himself in front of him.
“I am not a waste of time!” He looked up to him, pleading. “Don’t go out there. Not like this. You might not care about me, but I do.”
For the first time, a crack appeared in Jungkook’s façade.
“I care,” he spat. “More than you know.”
“Then stay,” Jimin said, ‘I care’ repeating in his head. “Stay. We’ll deal with this.”
Jungkook shook his head. “It will be too slow. I need to…”
Jimin didn’t think.
He stepped forward. Put his hands on Jungkook’s cheeks.
And kissed him.
It wasn’t what Jimin had envisioned. Because his thoughts weren’t on the kiss, but focused on whether Jungkook would leave or not. Because he didn’t believe he had the right to enjoy this kiss, when there was so much at stake.
Because, although Jungkook didn’t push him away, he didn’t reply either. Instead, he was frozen in place.
Jimin stumbled back, stomach in his throat.
“I’m sorry…” he whispered, horrified. “I’m…”
Jungkook reached out, but stopped shy of touching his arms, as if he couldn’t get himself to do it. He looked in pain, and Jimin couldn’t fathom how wrong he had been, to believe that his feelings would be reciprocated. Again.
“I apologize,” he repeated, taking hold of his own arms, since Jungkook wouldn’t touch him.
“Jimin…”
He wasn’t going to cry, despite how disgusted he was with himself.
“I shouldn’t have done that. I just – ”
“I’m sorry.” Jungkook looked as distressed as he felt, not even able to look him in the eyes. “I can’t give you what you want.”
“No, of course,” Jimin immediately said, taking a step back. “I don’t know why I thought that you’d want… I shouldn’t have presumed.”
It shouldn’t have hurt this much, he thought again.
“No, Jimin, you were right to.”
Jungkook tried touching his arm again and this time, it was Jimin who jerked back.
“You don’t have…” Jimin took a shaky breath, words hurting when he pushed them out. “You have made yourself clear, I shouldn’t have pushed it.”
He was watching himself speak, outside of his own body.
Jungkook, on the other hand, looked anything but.
“I do want that, Jimin.”
He kept repeating his name, as if he mattered. Jimin knew better.
“But I can’t be distracted,” Jungkook continued. His hands were writhing. “I need to fight back.”
“Of course.”
Jungkook looked pained. “You don’t believe me.”
There should have been a storm, but perhaps Jimin was feeling even more empty than he’d known.
“A kiss isn’t a distraction from war. You don’t need excuses.” He couldn’t cry.
“I’m not making excuses!” Jungkook cried out. “I wish I could give you what you want, but I can’t think of you when I’m out there.”
At least, disgust managed to pierce through the veil of hurt that had permeated Jimin’s mind.
“Sure. That’s why every single soldier doesn’t have a significant other.” He scoffed, body cold. “I’m a grown man, I can handle rejection.”
“Jimin, that’s not - ”
“Stop saying my name!” Jimin cried out. “You know what – just go.”
“Ji… Look at me.”
Jungkook had no right to sound so heartbroken.
But because he had asked, Jimin still raised his gaze.
His chest hurt. Jungkook was pale, too pale, and he was looking at Jimin with wide eyes full of an emotion Jimin couldn’t decipher. Not in his state.
But Jimin knew him well enough now. Jungkook wasn’t going to change his mind.
And Jimin wasn’t going to beg anymore. He’d already humiliated himself enough. His heart wouldn’t handle another rejection.
“You want to fight?” He asked. “Then fight! See what good it does.”
He turned around, immediately regretting the words but refusing to stop anyway.
He couldn’t let Jungkook see the tears in his eyes.
He ignored his name being called and ran down the stairs.
There was no wind outside. Just the sun breaching through the leaves, his empty chest, and screams of agony coming from the infirmary.
And he didn’t know where to go.
He paused there, panting, and for a foolish second, he hoped that Jungkook would follow him outside.
He didn’t.
Jimin walked away, rubbing his eyes so that the world wouldn’t be a blur.
He couldn’t go far. The war needed to be stopped.
But he couldn’t stay here either, not while every fairy in Seorabeol hated him.
The simple thought of being confined to his room was unbearable. However, he needed to get some of his things before leaving. To the room atop the Mother Tree? To the unicorn enclosure, so he could get out of Seorabeol for a few days? To a boat, which would take him away just as easily?
He took the less walked paths and hid every time he heard someone come his way. He didn’t want to be seen, not when he felt so distressed and his eyes might still be red.
Not when he looked so pathetically weak.
He couldn’t believe he had thought Jungkook would return his feelings, twice. Taehyung would have called him brave for trying. Jimin had never felt more ashamed in his life.
He got to his tree, head swimming with possibilities of where he should go.
He stopped when he saw someone standing by his door.
Hoseok was waiting for him, with such an unbearable look of pity that Jimin considered turning back.
“I was told you came back last night.”
Jimin tried to keep his voice steady. “I have to leave again.”
Hoseok didn’t look surprised. He had to know what had happened to their army.
“Why do you have to leave?”
“I…” Jimin tried to swallow, but his throat was too tight. “I want to be alone. For a while.”
Hoseok pressed his lips together and took a few steps forward. Jimin forced himself to stand still.
When Hoseok stopped in front of him, he put a hand on his shoulder. “Jimin. I don’t really think you want to be alone.”
Jimin didn’t reply, unable to speak.
“You can’t stay here either,” Hoseok continued, raising his other hand to grab Jimin’s arm. “We’ll get your things. You’re coming to live with me, at least until things progress.”
“I can’t…”
“You are my brother,” Hoseok interrupted him. “You’re not a stranger, you’re not a burden. We’re getting your things, and… Oh, Jimin.”
Jimin fell into his arms, shaking with sobs.
Hoseok rubbing his back made him cry harder.
“I’m…”
“Don’t you apologize,” Hoseok warned, voice strained.
Jimin shook his head and Hoseok held him tighter, afraid he was trying to leave. But Jimin had to say it.
“I told Jungkook to leave. I told him to go to war. I was so angry, and ashamed…” He hiccupped, unable to stop crying. He felt like a child. “If anything happens to him…”
“It won’t be your fault.” Hoseok said. “Jungkook made this choice.”
“I kissed him.” Jimin confessed, barely a whisper.
Hoseok tried to hide it, but Jimin felt him freeze for a second.
“And he rejected you?”
As if he couldn’t believe it.
“Twice.” Jimin laughed through the tears, self-deprecating. “A few days ago, and just now. I can believe I was so stupid, to think…”
“Don’t. He’s the one…” Hoseok sighed, and tightened his arms around him. “I know you won’t believe me, but he cares so much about you.”
“That’s the stupid part,” Jimin huffed. “It hurts so much to be rejected but… He looked so sad when he did it. I should have learned my lesson, but when Namjoon told me to stop him from leaving…”
“Namjoon shouldn’t have asked that of you. Jungkook, he’s…”
“So eager to fight. And if anything happens to him…”
“He’s stronger than all of us.”
“I’m not afraid for his life,” Jimin shuddered, “But for his soul.”
Hoseok pushed him back, keeping his hands on his shoulders. “Then we’ll work harder to stop the war and bring them all home, Yoongi, Seokjin, Jungkook.”
Jimin didn’t feel it fair to compare his relationship with Yoongi to the disaster that was between him and Jungkook, but he still nodded.
He couldn’t leave Seorabeol, and Hoseok was fundamentally right.
Jimin didn’t want to be alone.
“I could stay here,” he said, taking a step back. “I don’t have to move in with…”
Hoseok’s eyes flared. “You’re coming with me. I hate going back to a silent house every day, and don’t tell me that you want to sleep here tonight.”
Jimin gave him a watery smile. “Not really.”
“Then let’s gather your things.”
Jimin followed him inside. His chest still hurt, more than it should have, but there also was a wave of relief at the sight of Hoseok helping him pack. He wasn’t alone.
But Jungkook was, and who knew if Yoongi or Seokjin would be able to protect him from himself on the front lines.
Despite everything, Jimin wasn’t ready to give up on him yet.
Jimin settled into Hoseok and Yoongi’s guest bedroom, in the tree next to Namjoon and Seokjin’s. He couldn’t imagine staying there for a long time, but he knew he would have spent more time worrying if not for Hoseok being with him.
The first thing he tried to do was seek out an audience with the Council, but Hoseok said that they’d better go to Namjoon first.
Jimin wasn’t sure he could face him yet. Namjoon had asked him to keep Jungkook in Seorabeol, and Jimin had ended up pushing him away. He wasn’t sure how welcome he would be in those circumstances.
The moment they knocked on his door, and before he could realize what was going on, Jimin found himself enveloped in another hug.
“I’m sorry,” he immediately whispered, closing his own arms around Namjoon.
“Don’t. I should have known he was too far gone.”
“I…” Jimin didn’t say more. He wished that he could forget that shameful kiss and the way Jungkook had frozen.
Namjoon sighed and moved back.
“Seokjin told me to apologize. About how he talked to you.” He raised a hand when Jimin opened his mouth. “It wasn’t fine. He would have done it himself, but he’s already being called back.”
“Already?” Hoseok gasped. “They can’t…”
“We have no choice, and Seokjin wants to stay close to Jungkook. Yoongi won’t take his permission either.”
Hoseok nodded, pale. “I had figured… And Jungkook?”
Namjoon pressed his lips together.
“Come inside.”
For the first time, Namjoon’s tea didn’t soothe their worries. Perhaps because Namjoon himself found it hard to share calm and peace, when he had so little for himself.
“Seokjin felt him disappear but we didn’t see him come down the stairs, so we supposed he fled through the window.”
“Without saying goodbye.” Hoseok wasn’t asking.
Jimin’s blood ran cold when they both looked at him.
“I’m not going to ask any details,” Namjoon said gently, “But…”
“I told him to leave,” Jimin blurted out. “I know I shouldn’t have, but I did. And I left.”
Namjoon looked defeated.
“I don’t know what happened between you two,” he said, “But from what I could feel…”
“It doesn’t matter what either of us felt,” Jimin interrupted him. “He made it very clear that he didn’t want a distraction and that he wasn’t going to change his mind. I lashed out, even though I shouldn’t have, but what’s done is done, so what can I do now?”
His tone had grown harder, and he took a deep breath. Namjoon and Hoseok were speechless. Jimin had never been so cold to them before.
“Well…” Namjoon said softly, “There’s nothing you alone can do. The humans are on our trail.”
“Then call the armies back.”
“For now, they’re leading the humans away from Seorabeol.”
“You don’t need your entire army to do that,” Jimin pushed. “Why not call most of them back?”
“The humans will notice and split up if there are less of us fighting.”
Jimin slammed the table, making the others jump.
“Then what can we do?”
“From the meeting we had last night, I can tell you this. We’re going to call every soldier we have in reserve and lead the humans east, past the mountains. We have already sent troops to the coast two days ago. The plan is to build enough boats for our entire army, and make the humans believe that we’re fleeing the continent.”
Jimin barked out a laugh. “That’s ridiculous! Then what? The humans will ransack the entire forest!”
“They will have no one to fight against, and their army has taken some losses. They will have to go home at some point. That’s when our soldiers will return.”
Hoseok nodded, considering the plan, but Jimin couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“I have attended my father’s war meetings. While he’s planning to eradicate every magical creature in this forest, you what? Plan on leading him in a goose chase?”
Namjoon watched Jimin and shook his head.
“We don’t kill humans.”
Jimin tried to keep his anger in check, he truly did, but he was a mess. And there was something in Namjoon’s reply that reminded him of how Jungkook had looked at him.
“And I’ll never understand that, I know!” he spat. “You tried to make a fairy out of me, but that’s something you won’t be able to change. If we were to kill the heads of these armies, we’d have a victory in less than a week.”
“And who would do it? You? Jungkook?” For the first time, Namjoon looked angry at him, and it hurt. “We didn’t have to make a fairy out of you because you are one, but perhaps we shouldn’t have forgotten that you are human as well, and that there are some things you just can’t understand.”
Jimin was about to defend himself, but Namjoon slammed his own hand on the table, startling both he and Hoseok.
“When I say that we don’t kill humans, it’s not out of cowardice.” He had spat the word. “Cowardice, for me, would be believing that we are so superior that we have the right to take a life given by the Mother herself.”
“But our goal is just! If we kill a few to save the many…”
“We are not Gods, Jimin!” Namjoon shouted. “We don’t decide who lives or dies. That is how things work for us. Don’t expect us to go against our nature.”
“That’s what Jungkook is doing,” Hoseok said. He looked warily at Namjoon, probably just as startled by his outburst, but kept going. “It’s not just a matter of principle. Jungkook started to think this way, and it almost destroyed him. It happened before, fairies going feral because of the war, and it always ends the same way. With them turning against their own.”
Thoughts raged in his head. Jungkook wasn’t feral, he couldn’t be. He wanted to fight for the others, to save them all. He was ready to sacrifice himself for this. But if what Namjoon and Hoseok said was true… What would happen to him?
And to think that the day before, he was riding back towards Seorabeol with Jungkook. He desperately wished to go back in time. Maybe, if he had said the right words, things would have been different.
“Just tell him what happened,” Hoseok said. “Jimin deserves to know.”
“I thought…” Namjoon sighed, anger seeping out of him, “Goddess, I don’t know what I thought, but Jungkook seemed to do so much better.” He straightened up, eyes locked to Jimin’s. “Before you met Jungkook, he was in a battle…”
“At the Hwando camp,” Jimin said, heart rapidly beating.
Namjoon nodded. “That was the first time he killed someone. Multiple people, actually. It had been building up, with him using more and more strength whilst fighting back, and getting less cautious with his traps. He was barely talking to us anymore, unless it was about the war, and he never talked outright about killing, or we would have pulled him back, but… He lost himself that night. Killing has real consequences for us, and once Jungkook started, no one could stop him. Seokjin and Yoongi tried to intervene, and Jungkook almost hurt them. He managed to pull himself out of that state, and that’s when he left on his own.”
“But he came back,” Jimin said. “And he was still himself.”
“Barely,” Namjoon said, his desperation seeping into the air. “He crossed a line that day. Even if he managed to pull himself out of his feral state, you don’t immediately get better.”
“You let him go back to war,” Jimin said. He didn’t want to accuse the others, but why would they send him back if he’d truly been so far gone. He thought of the answer at the same time as Namjoon said it.
“The Council needs him out there. Especially with the humans getting more… insistent.”
Because of him. Jimin couldn’t breathe properly. He couldn’t tell if it was Namjoon’s emotions choking him or his own, but needed to make it stop. To think clearly.
“We need to get him back,” he whispered.
“We do. Seokjin and Yoongi will do what they can, but… I don’t know.”
“Seokjin is his brother, can’t he do something?”
Namjoon closed his hands into fists. “Seokjin has his own complicated past. He was fifteen when their parents died in the first months of the war, and he was called to fight not long after. Jungkook was five, then, so they weren’t raised together. Jungkook grew up with the idea that the only way to deal with the humans was to be as destructive as them. Seokjin was the exact opposite. When he finished his ten-year mandatory service, he only stayed in the army to keep an eye on Jungkook, but he hates it more than anything.”
“He and Yoongi can only do so much,” Hoseok quietly said. “Jungkook is naturally strong, and he spent years working harder than anyone else.”
“Then I’ll end the war.” Before the others could react, Jimin continued, “Maybe that’s what I’m meant to do. The fact that I’m fairy and human means that I am powerful, but that I could still kill.”
“Jimin,” Namjoon said in a gentle voice. “You’ve never killed before. It might very well break you too.”
“If it can save Jungkook, I’ll do it.”
Hoseok put a hand over his arm. “You’re still part fairy.”
“I am…”
“You sound so much like him.”
Namjoon sounded so dejected that Jimin stopped. He realized, horrified, that Namjoon was crying.
“You two are so alike, I can’t…” Namjoon paused and took a deep breath. “I’ve heard enough of Jungkook saying that he was strong enough, that he could take it, that he owed it to his people, to just sit here and listen to it all over again. No Jimin, you’re not strong enough to kill dozens of well-guarded generals on your own. No, you couldn’t take it, not when it would mean killing the man who raised you, despite everything he did to you. And no, you can’t sacrifice yourself. I won’t allow it.”
That left a dead silence in the house and the three of them sat, shoulders down, each in their own pain.
Jimin forced himself to ask, “What do we do, then?”
“For our armies, nothing. The Council has decided. For Jungkook, we wait for Seokjin and Yoongi to come back with him. The order has been sent to every troop, he can’t be allowed to lead anymore and needs to be brought back, by force if necessary. And in the meantime… Don’t stay alone.”
“He moved into my guest bedroom,” Hoseok said.
Namjoon wiped his tears and Jimin did the same. He hadn’t realized that he had cried as well.
“Good. Jungkook had a few hours of head start, he can’t be too far away. Catch some sleep, if you can,” he added, grimly. “I don’t know what will happen when he comes back.”
There was a time – he couldn’t have been older than eight – where Jimin came close to the truth about himself.
These were the loneliest years of his life. Taehyung was still a babbling child, not yet his best and only friend. Wonshik would hit or belittle him whenever they were alone together, which Jimin avoided as much as possible, and his father ignored him most of the time.
Some nights, however, he would call Jimin to his rooms.
There, sitting by the fire, he would ask him questions about his lessons. How well was he doing? Could he hold his own against the sword mistress? Anything else to report?
Jimin answered, eager to receive some attention from the man he barely saw since his mother had died. He was doing well, his arithmetic tutor was proud. The sword mistress was tough, but he had hit a bullseye with his dagger last week.
His father sometimes deigned to reply with a groan, but he always insisted on that last question.
Anything else to report?
Jimin would give him the gossip he’d heard from the maids, but that never seemed to satisfy the King. Sometimes, he wondered if he should have told him about the way Wonshik treated him, but it wasn’t his place to speak badly of his future King.
So he would wait, standing as tall as he could, until his father tore his eyes from the fire, as if remembering his presence.
“Go on then,” he would always say, eyes gliding over him.
He never fully looked at Jimin.
Jimin wondered why that was.
One night, he had lit up a candle and observed himself in his wardrobe’s mirror.
He wasn’t as tall as Wonshik. He wasn’t very bulky either. In fact, even Taehyung, young as he was, looked more like Wonshik than Jimin did.
Maybe that was why his father cared so little for him, and that idea had left him desperate. The one who had given him affection, the one he had looked like, was gone. How could he please his father, looking like this?
He had gripped the wardrobe’s door and observed himself more closely, desperate to find some resemblance. His hair was too light, his mouth too soft. In fact, everything in him was too soft and round.
Even his eyes, he desperately realized, were hooded in a way that didn’t remotely resemble his father’s.
They also, now that he looked at them more closely, didn’t exactly look like his mother’s eyes.
A gap of terror opened in his chest and he looked at the portrait over the fireplace. Father, Wonshik and even his baby brother looking like the Parks of old. Jimin beaming, looking exactly like his mother.
Except for the eyes. Hers were more slanted, darker.
Jimin looked at the mirror again, begging it to reflect this portrait of hers.
But the mirror was broken.
The wood of the wardrobe had splintered in multiple pieces.
Jimin stumbled back. His broken reflection multiplied the horror on his face.
A piece of wood was sticking out of the door. Unnatural. It hadn’t been there before. Or had it? Maybe it had been.
Surely, it had been.
The next time the King had called Jimin to his side, he’d asked the same question.
“Anything else to report?”
Jimin had thought about it for a moment. “Nothing of note. One of the servants left a candle too close to my wardrobe. I found it before the fire got too bad, but we still had to replace the door.”
It ate at him that the servant might have been punished for something Jimin had done himself, but his father simply hummed, bored.
“You can go.”
After that, though he couldn’t remember why, Jimin was always a little relieved when his father refused to fully look at him.
He didn’t know why this particular memory came back to him, but that was what Jimin found himself thinking about that night.
He had tried to listen to Namjoon. Had waited the rest of the day, while Hoseok had made conversation for the two of them. Had laid in bed, in this room he didn’t know. There was a sense of family in the house, probably due to Hoseok’s magic imbued in the walls. But this wasn’t his bed, and these weren’t his walls, the ones he’d been carving for months.
Perhaps that was the reason for this particular memory. His magic had always responded well to wood, it seemed, even as a child.
More than that, the memory showed that he had always refused to see the obvious.
He was now outside, sitting on the deck of Hoseok and Yoongi’s house, thinking.
He had always been good at that, he was realizing. Not seeing the truth because it hurt too much.
There had been other incidents after he had burned his wardrobe. Things that would have made anyone else suspicious. With hindsight, he realized that he’d had these suspicions for a long time.
He knocked his head on the tree behind him.
“Gods,” he muttered. “Stop lying to yourself.”
He hadn’t been suspicious. He had known, plain and simple.
Not everything, of course. But part of him had known, for so long, that he wasn’t really like his brothers. That he wasn’t fully a Park.
Not acknowledging it had been his best defense. Had he admitted the truth to himself, he would have lost everything. His position. His title. Taehyung.
That last night at the Palace was when he had finally accepted it. He had lost everything anyway, the lies weren’t necessary anymore.
So, he had listened to Jungkook and followed him.
Jungkook…
There was another truth there. One that Jimin wasn’t ready to acknowledge yet.
He looked up.
The forest was just as beautiful as his first night here. Thousands of stars in the branches. Thousands of lives intertwined in this extraordinary place.
One of them missing from him.
Jimin’s chest was hurting.
And he was tired of lying to himself.
There was no wind, no storm around him. He was fully awake, and the night was quiet and serene.
Until it wasn’t anymore.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw shadows flying overhead. Heard the rustling feathers and the loud thump, as they landed on Namjoon and Seokjin’s deck.
His heart missed a beat.
Immediately, he was up and running towards the nearest bridge, cursing the fact that he couldn’t fly. He was glad no one was there to see him running frantically over the bridges, they would have thought him mad. But he knew who had come home.
Getting to Namjoon’s house, he slammed the door open and barged inside, out of breath.
Jungkook was lying on the table, unconscious and covered in blood. One of Namjoon’s cups was broken on the floor. Yoongi and Seokjin were standing over him, shouting.
“Careful, his wing!” That was Yoongi, a knife in hand. With it, he cut the straps holding what was left of Jungkook’s broken armor.
The armor fell and Jungkook’s chest was revealed.
“Namjoon!” Seokjin cried out.
“I have the bandages!”
The tip of Jungkook’s wings were touching the floor, dipping into the blood that had already started to pool there.
The fire made the blood look black.
Jimin didn’t think it natural, the way sounds seemed to fade away, his focus entirely on Jungkook’s chest. It was moving up, then down. Not smoothly, but Jungkook was breathing.
Gods, he was losing so much blood.
“I have them!” Namjoon ran down the stairs, arms full. “Jimin!”
That made Yoongi and Seokjin look at him for a second, before they were back over Jungkook.
Jungkook didn’t need bandages. Not in this state.
“Go find a healer!” Seokjin yelled.
“Call Hoseok,” Yoongi ordered at the same time.
What could have done this to him? There was an arrow in his side, and multiple sword cuts all over him. Arms, legs, even his cheek hadn’t been spared.
“Jimin, a healer!” Seokjin cried out again.
He was crying.
Jimin wasn’t. Not when Jungkook’s chest was still moving.
Not listening, Jimin stepped closer. Almost slipped on the blood. Seokjin had to step aside, disheveled. Who knew how many hours they’d had to carry him?
They called his name again, but he couldn’t hear it.
He put his hand over Jungkook’s heart and gasped.
What had Hoseok said before? Their bodies already knew what to do.
Jimin prayed that Jungkook’s body would know how to heal itself.
He pushed everything he had inside. His magic flew out of him, like blood running from his own veins directly into Jungkook’s. Jimin had no idea what he was doing, but something was happening.
Jungkook was still unconscious but his back arched, as if attracted to Jimin’s hand and to the magic filling his body. Some of his cuts were healing. The smaller ones at least. The one on his cheek closed a few seconds later, leaving a trail of blood behind.
It wasn’t enough. Jimin was no healer but the bruises on Jungkook’s chest and the way one of his ribs poked out didn’t look natural at all.
And his wings… Jimin would have killed the ones who had dared to aim their arrows at these wings. There were holes in some parts, he couldn’t imagine how much pain Jungkook had to endure.
Something primal came over him. He put his second hand on Jungkook’s chest.
“Jimin?” That was Namjoon. Only a few seconds must have passed, but Jimin was now too aware of his surroundings. Of the others watching him.
“Get out.”
Seokjin stepped forward, and Namjoon called his name.
“Get out!” Jimin repeated. “Find a doctor. Find Hoseok. But get out!”
Yoongi moved back, wary eyes on Jimin.
“I thought Jungkook had said…”
“Jungkook lied,” Namjoon said, grabbing Seokjin’s arm, who still refused to leave his brother’s side. “Come, he will be fine.”
Magic was still leaving his body, moving into Jungkook, and Jimin needed them out.
He didn’t realize that he had been holding out.
The moment the door closed, he slumped. His forehead fell on Jungkook’s chest, hands gripping his arms so he wouldn’t fall.
He didn’t know how he could still have any magic left but when he closed his eyes, he saw an endless current between them.
And there, under him, he saw Jungkook’s body. He couldn’t understand it all, but he knew his magic was doing some things right. That Jungkook wasn’t rejecting it. The deeper cuts started healing as well. The broken ribs nudged themselves back into place. The wings… The wings were healing as well.
Time was strange, in this state. He couldn’t tell if a few seconds or an hour passed, but at some point, he realized why he wasn’t feeling drained.
Jungkook’s magic was flowing inside him as well, creating a loop between them. Jimin hadn’t felt it at first, because it felt so similar to his own. Now that he knew what it was, he could see the ways in which they differed.
Jungkook’s magic was strength, keeping Jimin upright. It was focus, making his mind sharper and set on the task at hand.
And it was warm. Jimin laid his head on Jungkook’s chest, knowing he had a place there. He wished they could have touched more like this before, but didn’t let the regrets swallow him. For now, he would let their magics do the work. Sadness – and betrayal – they could come later.
Time stretched, and he thought he heard hushed voices outside, but no one opened the door.
“Jimin?”
He blinked, eyes opening.
When he raised his head, Jungkook was looking at him. He had an undefinable expression, but he looked bone tired.
“You have blood on your face,” he croaked.
Jimin touched his cheek and felt the dried blood.
“Yours,” he said.
He had never felt like this. Was that what the air fairies’ magic was like? His body was pulsing with energy. He could smell the metallic blood pooling on the floor. He could see every color in Jungkook’s eyes. And could see the emotions in them.
“What happened?” he asked. “After you left.”
“I… I don’t remember,” Jungkook said, looking away. A lie, then. “I came across a troop of human soldiers.”
“You’re stronger than any of them.” With the power coursing through him, he knew that he had severely underestimated the air fairies’ power. “You could have taken them all.”
Something lit up in Jungkook’s eyes. Jimin thought that it looked like fear.
“I couldn’t kill them…”
Jimin raised himself on his arms, putting distance between them.
He could feel some of that anger he’d put away come back. He didn’t want to unleash it. Not without giving Jungkook another chance.
“Why not?” he asked.
Looking up at Jimin, Jungkook’s fear grew.
“I couldn’t kill any of them. I should have, but…”
Jimin didn’t want to hear him say it again. So he said it himself, “But you were distracted.”
“It’s not…”
“You were distracted by me,” Jimin continued. “When you killed, you were unbalanced. There was no one to keep you grounded.”
He wanted to give Jungkook the chance to be honest. He would have forgiven any lies, if Jungkook finally stopped lying to the both of them.
“I have to,” Jungkook said, almost pleading. “The war…”
Jimin closed his eyes for a second, resigned. Jungkook’s demons, like his own, wouldn’t be dealt with in a day.
“You tried to close yourself to it but you can’t, Jungkook. You could kill before, and now you can’t.”
“If I can’t, I am useless…”
“You already are,” Jimin said, heart wrenching when he saw the pain his words caused. “I did what I could. A healer needs to come for the rest.”
Jungkook tried to raise himself up, wincing, but Jimin pushed him back down and stood up in the process. Jungkook looked about as lost as Jimin felt when he removed his hands from his chest.
At least now, Jimin was sure that they both felt empty.
“The healer is outside. The others too.”
“I don’t want to see them.”
“They will still worry about you, whether you want it or not,” Jimin said, failing to hide his own bitterness. “You can’t stop people from loving you.” He looked down at Jungkook’s bloody body. “It doesn’t make you any stronger.”
They looked at each other for a moment, and Jimin turned away before they could hurt each other even more.
Just as he had thought, everyone was outside. Namjoon and Yoongi were talking to the healer, with Seokjin silently standing to the side. Hoseok was the first one to see him.
“What happ – ”
Jimin raised a hand. “He’s alright. Still needs someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”
“And you?” Namjoon asked.
Jimin knew what was being asked, and he didn’t want to answer.
“In need of sleep. I’m going back to your house,” he told Hoseok. “We’ll talk later.”
Lies, of course. He was buzzing with anger, pain and a magic that wasn’t his own. The others accepted it, entering the house, but Hoseok gave him a hug before following them.
Alone again, Jimin let out a long sigh. Dawn was just coming up, and he didn’t know what he should do.
He stood against the railing for a while, listening to the voices inside. He couldn’t make out the words, but he could hear that Seokjin was angry, that Namjoon was soothing everyone. He heard Jungkook’s voice a few times and wiped his eyes with the part of his shirt that wasn’t covered in dry blood.
Light slowly filled the forest and he stayed there. His mind wasn’t racing anymore. Nothing was fine and yet, Jimin found some strange sense of peace.
He now understood why Jungkook had rejected him. And he now understood what was between them. Surely, it was selfish of him to think about such things in the middle of this war, but it gave the world more sense.
“Master Park?”
He turned. A pixie landed on the railing next to him, and Jimin straightened.
“Yes?”
The pixie bowed her head. “I went to your house but you weren’t there. I figured I’d deliver this to Master Kim instead, but since you’re here.”
She took out a piece of paper from her bag, and unfolded it. There had to be some magic involved, for when the pixie put it in Jimin’s hand, the letter became human-sized.
“Anything else to report?” Jimin asked, heart beating fast.
“It was easier to enter the Palace this time,” the pixie said. “Less soldiers. And your brother said to find him in the forest next time.”
“Taehyung’s leaving the White Palace? Are you sure?”
“He said you’d find everything in there,” she replied, nodding at the letter.
“Of course. Thank you.”
The pixie bowed once more and flew away.
Immediately, Jimin broke the wax seal and unfolded the paper.
Jimin,
I’ll get to the point. Father has ordered everyone to leave the Palace with him. That coward spent his whole life sending others to fight, and only deigns to go himself once the outcome is almost assured. He wants us all there to see him achieve victory.
I hope that what he says about the war isn’t true.
Here’s what I can tell you. Father is planning a meeting with all his other allies, as well as a number of his generals. Some nobles I managed to get on my side confirmed it to me. They will meet in the Hwando camp, which they managed to retake entirely, and it will be on the day of the next full moon. Your messenger tells me that you’ll get this letter with a few days to spare.
You need to come and confront Father. If you talk to him alone, he will try to silence you, so you need to attend this meeting. Show everyone that they have been lied to. Despite my best efforts, people truly believe that you’ve been taken by force. They call you a martyr.
I urge you to be discreet. From what I hear, there are more soldiers than ever in the Forest. They’re all on edge in there, and infighting has apparently become a real problem. Rumors say that the longer they stay and the deeper they explore, the more the Forest pushes against them.
So, be careful. I don’t know how you would be received by any soldier in this war, even if you were to give out your name. Take a few friends with you and come in secret. We can’t have Father hearing about you coming and cancelling the entire thing.
I will be there, with soldiers at my side. If you come, I will protect you as best I can.
I can’t wait for this to be over. I can’t wait to see you again.
Your brother,
Taehyung
Jimin tried to remain calm.
He had studied the maps enough to know that the Hwando camp was much closer to the White Palace than to Seorabeol.
On Jungkook’s back, it would have taken less than a day, but that was out of the question. He knew now that no other air fairy would carry him either, and that would have been too dangerous anyway. He thought about the unicorns but Jimin didn’t think that it would be any more discreet, once he’d get closer to the human camps.
Which left the rivers. He knew how to stir a boat, through magic or muscle, and that could get him close enough to finish up on foot.
‘Take a few friends with you.’
Jimin looked at the letter again. Then, at the door.
He could still hear their voices. It would have been easy to knock and ask for their help.
But the last thing Jimin wanted was for Jungkook to come as well.
And if he were honest with himself, he couldn’t face any of them right now.
There was a middle ground. Not a particularly good one. Hoseok would have his skin, but it was better than what he truly wanted to do, which was to run away on his own to stop this entire madness.
He went back to his own house. Prepared a bag filled with enough provisions for the three days he had left. It wasn’t that difficult, when he hadn’t even had the time to undo his pack from his mission with Jungkook.
And then, he left Taehyung’s letter on the table. Jimin added his own note at the bottom, describing the route he would take to get to the camp. He apologized for leaving this way, and asked that only one or two of them joined him. And that Jungkook shouldn’t be told about this. He almost added that they weren’t obligated to follow him, but knew that his friends would be furious enough for him to add insult to injury.
As he closed the door behind him, the sun was now fully up. He met a few people on his way to the river and ignored their disgusted looks. He hoped he would be able to change their mind.
It felt almost mundane to climb on one of the smaller boats, as if he were just on his daily visit to the Mother Tree. He thought for a moment about visiting one last time but decided against it.
There was no time to lose.
With a touch on the side of the boat, he was on his way.
It was slow, at first. The boats didn’t move fast in Seorabeol, but once he left the bounds of the city, he put his hand in the water and pushed a little to gain more speed.
He fell into a strange state, one where he didn’t want to think about anything anymore, trying to watch the passing forest with a calm mind. Yet he was anything but calm, and he caught himself gripping at the side of the boat a few times, making it fly a little too fast.
Betrayal was difficult to ignore. His Father, he could almost forgive. Being a proud man, a King, he would have never revealed Jimin the truth. But the people he had met in Seorabeol, the ones he had considered his new family…
He shook his head. He needed a clear head, or he would just be full of resentment once the others caught up to him. Also, he had to think about the speech he would give to the humans.
He worked on that, taking notes on sheets of paper he had brought with him. He needed the humans to see just how monstrous they were, killing people who couldn’t kill them back. Hating them when they had never once encroached on their territory. All for a revenge that wasn’t even their own.
Sometimes, while staring into space searching for the right word, the emptiness in his chest would remind itself to him, and the anger would come back. He pushed it away every time and reread the last sentences he had written to get himself into the right mindset again. At least he had this, this possibility to make things better, even if he didn’t have anything else.
He only left the boat to relieve himself that day and chose to sleep on the river, hidden under a wiping willow.
The next morning, the loneliness hit him harder than he had thought. The others should have reached out to him by now, and he almost regretted leaving without telling them. Perhaps they had had enough of his self-destructive ideas. In that, he and Jungkook were too much alike.
Perhaps they simply hadn’t found him yet. He refused to give up hope and gave a nudge to the boat to be on his way again.
He had barely been sailing for a few minutes when a ruffling sound came from overhead.
He knew who it was before he even raised his eyes.
Jungkook must have been looking for him for some time, flying over the river.
Jimin saw him make a turn in the sky and come back towards him. He pushed the boat towards the closest shore, jaw clenched. He couldn’t believe that this was who had reached him first.
Any semblance of calmness he had maintained until then disappeared. His heartbeat increased but he kept a tight grip around it.
He wanted this fight.
Jungkook landed at the same time Jimin stepped on the riverbank.
“Are you out of your mind?” Jungkook said, immediately rushing towards him. It seemed that he was the one out of his mind, hair sticking up, dark circles under his eyes, and the scar on his cheek still visible. “You can’t leave like - ”
Jimin shoved him back, using all the energy he could muster.
Jungkook stumbled back, stunned. He didn’t fall. The healing had done wonders on him, at least.
They both stood there, a safe distance between them.
Jungkook watched him, then, and Jimin wondered how well he was truly hiding his rage.
“Where are the others?” Jimin asked, cold. “The letter was for them.”
“Namjoon and Yoongi are warning the Council.” Jungkook seemed wary, eyes raking up Jimin’s face.
“Why warn them? If they send troops, the meeting will get cancelled.”
“They can’t leave Seorabeol without telling the others. They’ll be on their way with Hoseok and Seokjin as soon as they’re done. They’ll keep the meeting secret.”
Jimin didn’t reply. He knew that if he talked too much, he’d say things he would regret.
Jungkook wasn’t handling his silence so well.
“You should have waited for them. Leaving alone like you did…”
“What? You didn’t like being left behind?” Jimin asked. He knew he sounded mean, but he couldn’t keep the ugly feelings from pouring out of him. “I specifically asked that you didn’t come.”
Jungkook’s mouth twisted. “I can fight. I’m healed.”
“Oh, I know that. I still don’t want to see you.”
Jungkook took a step back, mouth open. There, Jimin had managed to hurt him.
“Jimin…”
“How did you do it?” he suddenly snapped. “How did you leave me so easily?”
He pointed at his chest, and Jungkook’s eyes widened.
“How do you manage to stay so detached?” Jimin continued, voice rising as he took a step forward. “How can you bear it?”
Jungkook paled as Jimin stepped even closer.
Jimin felt the need to push him further, to make him hurt just as much as he was hurting.
“How do you lie so easily?!” He put a finger against Jungkook's chest, pushing him back. He’d never been a violent person, but he wanted to pull Jungkook close so he could push him away again.
“Jimin, calm down…”
Jungkook clearly didn’t know what to do anymore. Jimin was too far gone in his anger.
“Is it because I’m human? You lied and lied and lied and I didn’t know any better!” he seethed.
“We should rest,” Jungkook tried again. “You are tired, you used too much magic.”
“Because I am your mate!” Jimin roared. “Of course I healed you!”
There was a loud silence.
“Say it,” Jimin ordered, putting up a cold front before he could break. “Say it!”
Jungkook looked as pale as he had, laying on that bloodied table.
“You are my mate,” he whispered.
Something in Jimin’s chest unraveled.
A weight. The truth he had felt, deep down, from their very first meeting.
Jungkook looked as devastated as he was, but that was barely any consolation.
“Did the others know?”
Jungkook didn’t look away, but the guilt in his face was almost unbearable.
“They guessed, the day I brought you back,” he admitted. “I… told them they were wrong.”
And they had trusted Jungkook… Jimin wasn’t sure if he believed that. The way Namjoon would look at them sometimes. How Hoseok had refused to talk about mates until Jimin had pushed… He would have to ask them, and that was the last thing he wanted right now. To know that they had lied to him as well.
“How do you lie so easily?” he breathed out.
“I couldn’t…” Jungkook was struggling with the words. “I couldn’t have told you. You were too… Human.”
Jimin scoffed. “Unbelievable. Now, I’m human. You kept saying the opposite, no?”
“What would you have done?” Jungkook burst out. “If I had told you? You would have thought me mad! I had already told you that you were a fairy and that your father wasn’t the king!”
“But I felt it! Even then,” Jimin said, putting his hand over his chest. Over the place where he could feel it the most. “And why not tell me later?”
Jungkook shook his head. “I… I didn’t… You don’t understand.”
“So make me!” Jimin cried out. He knew that he sounded desperate but he needed these answers. “It’s about you killing these soldiers, right?”
Jungkook’s shoulders slumped.
“I was getting stronger before you came.”
“You mean, when you killed for the first time,” Jimin said.
Jungkook shuddered. “Yes. I could finally make a difference, but… it comes at a cost. I fled before I could hurt anyone else.”
“And you found me.”
Jungkook’s eyes were painful to hold, but Jimin didn’t want to look away.
“I wasn’t thinking. I kept flying away, and I – I found you,” Jungkook stuttered. “And the bond… I could feel it, trying to form. Trying to get me back to what I used to be.”
“Sane and grounded?”
“Weak,” Jungkook spat.
Jimin blanched. “So you didn’t want the bond.”
“That’s not it!” Jungkook snapped. “I wanted it but… if I’d let it take hold, I would have lost something vital for the war.”
“Why not leave me in the Palace then?” Jimin exclaimed. “The war wouldn’t have gone as badly as it is now. You would have lost yourself, but who would have cared, right? You could have gone back to killing.”
He spat that last word and this time, Jungkook pushed back.
“I’m not a monster!” He cried out, and Jimin didn’t know who he was trying to convince. “That night, when I fled, I didn’t know where I was going. And when I saw that I was close to the human lands, my heart… It was telling me to go. I was furious against myself because I knew what it meant, and I couldn’t be bonded to a human! I thought about turning around and that’s when I saw the storm. The moment I saw you, I… I couldn’t leave you there.”
Jimin’s tears finally broke through. He remembered that night. The fear, the desperation… and Jungkook, saving him from his life. The night after, flying on his back, and that feeling of blind trust which he hadn’t understood back then.
He swallowed around a lump in his throat. “You could have left me alone, after bringing me to Seorabeol.”
“I couldn’t,” Jungkook breathed out. “You were so lost then, I could feel how my presence helped you. I’d… never done that to anyone before. And the more we talked, the more attached I grew. You’re smart, and driven and I thought… I thought I could stay near you, just far away enough that the bond wouldn’t fully take hold. That it wouldn’t change me.”
Jimin tried to hide a sob behind his hand. He felt so bare in front of Jungkook, and he hated himself for wanting him closer still.
“You would have never told me that we were mates, if I hadn’t guessed,” he said.
Jungkook’s face said it all.
“No. Your people even call me the ‘Death Fairy’! I’m an abomination, and you deserve better than - ”
“Don’t even finish that,” Jimin spat. He wiped tears from his eyes but more came. “You don’t get to say what I deserve! And that stupid ‘Death Fairy’ title is not you. I fell for you, even when I didn’t know we were mates.”
Jungkook took a step back, face contorted. “Don’t say that. It’s the bond that made you feel this way.”
“To hell with the bond, you rejected it!” he cried out. “Perhaps us being mates made me trust you at first but it didn’t compel me to feel anything! Hoseok told me that it doesn’t have to lead to love, isn’t that right?”
Jungkook nodded, reluctant.
“Then my feelings are all mine, and they’re true. You don’t get to dismiss the love I have for you.”
And that word, love, seemed too much for Jungkook to handle.
For the first time, tears appeared in his eyes. Jimin hated himself because despite how much he wanted to hurt Jungkook, it was painful to see him so distraught.
“I don’t want you to kill,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to lose yourself. You don’t have to love me or accept the bond, I just want you safe.”
Jungkook took a long breath, blinking the tears away. He looked broken, crushed by what Jimin was asking of him, even more so than when he’d been bruised and bloodied on that damned table.
“If I can’t help win the war, then I’m nothing,” Jungkook said with difficulty. “I… Of course I hate it. I don’t want to kill. But if I don’t do it… What’s the point?”
“The point?” Jimin asked, mouth hanging in shock.
“Everyone is afraid of me, and they’re right to be. Do you…” Jungkook looked away, distressed. “Do you know how often I thought that the forest would be a better place, if I wasn’t in it?”
Jimin let out a sob and stepped forward until he was right in front of him. “Don’t say that. Please don’t say that.”
“It’s true. War and death are all I’m good for and I’m sorry!”
He said that last word in an anguish cry, and let his head fall in his hands to hide his sobs.
Jimin wrapped his arms around him and brought his head against his own neck. He hugged Jungkook tight, despite them both shaking.
“I’m sorry,” Jungkook repeated, words blurring. “I’m sorry I lied. I’m… I can’t love you. I don’t think I can. Not like you deserve.”
“You believe you don’t deserve love.” Jimin held him tighter. “But that’s not your choice to make.”
“How could you… All I do is hurt people. I’m not good.”
“You were with me every day. You welcomed me into this world. You never made me feel like a stranger.”
“I lied to you. You were right, all I do is lie and lie...”
“You did. And when you rejected me, I couldn’t believe how painful it was.” He rubbed his own forehead against Jungkook’s shoulder. “But part of me… It understood why you didn’t want me.”
Jungkook froze. “What?”
“The entire war started because of my parents. Even now, it’s getting worse because I chose to follow you. I’m neither fairy nor human. I’m something in between, and I don’t fit anywhere. Why would you want the bond?”
Jungkook pushed himself back to look at him. He was a wreck, eyes red and cheeks wet but then, Jimin couldn’t have looked much better himself.
“I don’t blame you for not telling me about us being mates,” he said, though the words were painful to say. “I’m not sure I deserve much love either.”
Jungkook was so shocked that he said nothing, but his hands came up to cup Jimin’s cheeks.
“But you see,” Jimin forced himself to say, blinking away new tears, “Even if I don’t believe I’m worthy, I try to remember that others have their own reasons. Why should Taehyung love me? Or Hoseok, when my family destroyed his? They should hate me, like I sometimes hate myself, but…”
“Please stop.”
Jungkook leaned their foreheads together, and Jimin’s mouth twisted through the tears.
“See how painful it is, when someone you love brings themselves down?” He wrapped his hands around Jungkook’s wrists and gripped them tight. “Even if you don’t believe it yourself, please, believe me when I say that the forest is a better place with you in it. That I’m happier when you’re with me, even if you don’t want this bond.”
“I do want it,” Jungkook immediately said. “More than you can know.”
Not daring to believe it, Jimin raised his head, bumping their nose together.
“Show me,” he said, because part of him still remembered Jungkook’s rejection when he had kissed him. He couldn’t go through that again.
His heart stopped when Jungkook moved back to look at him. He still looked a mess but he wasn’t crying anymore. His thumbs wiped the remnants of Jimin’s own tears, caressing his face.
Then, he leaned to kiss Jimin’s forehead. “I’m… Goddess, that word feels empty, but I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth,” he whispered against his skin. “I should have.”
Jimin nodded.
Jungkook moved down and kissed his temple. “I wanted this so much,” he said, moving again until he left a kiss on Jimin’s cheek, soft, as if he were afraid that he would break Jimin if he touched him more. “Every day, I was so happy to be with you. I could watch and listen to you for hours.”
Jimin was gripping Jungkook’s wrists too tight, mouth opening on its own accord.
Jungkook stopped in front of it, and Jimin could feel his shaky breath against his lips.
“Do you really want this? I can’t…”
“I do.”
Jungkook nodded shakily, and after what felt like an eternity, leaned down to kiss him.
He did so carefully, pressing his lips to Jimin’s with all the love he could muster. Jimin had asked him to show how much Jungkook wanted him, and he was doing just that. Their cheeks were still wet and they could hardly breathe, but each kiss settled something in them.
Jimin gasped into Jungkook’s mouth. There was something in his chest that begged to be released.
“Jimin,” Jungkook begged against his lips, fingers gripping his hair. “Jimin…”
They hugged each other, so close that there was no space left between them, mouths eagerly finding each other again.
And the bond fully locked into place.
They stopped moving, gripping onto each other, fearing they would break into pieces if they moved away.
Jimin couldn’t believe it, feeling emotions that weren’t his own. He knew they weren’t his, because Jungkook’s love felt different from his own. For him, loving Jungkook was a safe place, a warmth in his soul, a place where he didn’t have to pretend anymore.
What he was getting from Jungkook didn’t feel like that. Jungkook’s love felt like the sun, as if Jimin was the most beautiful thing in the world and his simple presence made the darkness in Jungkook’s head fade away.
He was brought back to himself when he felt Jungkook’s face trembling against his neck.
“Oh,” Jungkook exhaled, and Jimin could feel the tears against his skin. “Oh, you truly love me. How can you…”
Jimin laughed. He hadn’t even realized that he was crying as well. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel weak doing so. It was even… liberating, he realized, sobbing and laughing at the same time.
“And you love me too,” he marveled, wanting nothing more than to close his eyes and dive into their bond again.
He would never have felt worthy of such love, but now that he was inside it, engulfed by it… Who was he to deny the truth? Jungkook’s feelings were real, no matter what he thought about himself.
Jimin could feel that Jungkook was having the same thoughts. Sensed his fear, his doubts, before giving in to Jimin’s love.
“You shouldn’t…” Jungkook whispered.
“But I do,” he smiled.
Jimin felt so light that he gripped Jungkook tighter, fearing that he would fly away otherwise. He wasn’t against the idea of flying, but only if they did it together.
“What makes you feel like that?” Jungkook asked against his neck. He had left kisses all over his skin, both uncaring how messy they were. “You’re… giddy.”
“I got excited,” Jimin smiled, caressing his hair. “I was thinking about flying with you again.”
Jungkook let out a surprised laugh. “Really? That’s what you’re thinking about?”
“I’ve been thinking about it since the first day.”
“I told you, we don’t usually carry people on our back.”
Jimin kissed the skin under his ear. “You can say what you want. I know you won’t refuse me.”
Jungkook scoffed and moved back but Jimin immediately kissed him, refusing to put space between them.
“Goddess,” Jungkook sighed when Jimin moved away, breathless. “You knowing what I feel… It’s so strange.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Jimin asked, suddenly worried.
“Do I look like I hate it?”
From what he could feel through the bond, Jungkook was loving it, being surrounded by Jimin’s emotions. But there was something else there as well, a deeper sadness. Something so ingrained that Jimin knew it wouldn’t go away.
“Tell me,” he asked.
Jungkook looked away, but that didn’t bother Jimin. Before, Jungkook had done it when he’d wanted to hide from Jimin’s questions. Now, Jimin could feel that Jungkook was simply too used to the walls he had built around himself. He didn’t want to force them down, and waited for Jungkook to find his own words.
“It’s over for me,” Jungkook said, self-deprecating. “The war. I’ll never be as strong as I used to be.”
Jimin thought about his answer. He didn’t want to dismiss Jungkook’s feelings, but also needed him to understand just how reckless he had been.
“That wasn’t strength,” he said. “You wanted to sacrifice yourself.”
Jungkook gnawed his lower lip. “I could help.”
“We can still help.”
“I thought you didn’t want me to come.”
Jungkook cried out when Jimin flicked his temple.
“I had just realized that we were mates,” he said, scolding. “And I thought that you didn’t want me. Of course I didn’t want you to follow.”
He felt it then, the guilt inside Jungkook’s chest. A black smoke wrapping around his heart, whispering how much Jungkook should hate himself. It was gnawing at him, and Jimin kissed him again, powerless to do anything else.
“Don’t,” he said. “What’s done is done.”
“I lied, I…”
“You did,” Jimin interrupted him. “And it was devastating, because I thought you didn’t want me. And now…” He took one of Jungkook’s hands and kissed it. “Now that I can feel you, I know that you love me. But…I can also see what you feel for yourself. I’m not going to add to that. You already beat up on yourself enough.”
“I deserve it.”
“What you deserve – what we deserve, is peace. So, are you going to help me?”
They looked at each other for a moment, emotions threatening to overwhelm Jungkook again, making him want to hide, but Jimin didn’t look away. He meant every single word and he needed Jungkook to understand that.
Finally, Jungkook nodded, and relief flooded Jimin.
“Good. Now, we need to wash up, but I’m not sure it’s safe for us to separate…”
Jungkook smiled. It was a small smile, but Jimin would take it.
“We can separate, it’s completely safe.”
They both stood, looking at each other, until Jimin broke first.
“What if I don’t want to move away?”
Jungkook leaned in to kiss him. Jimin didn’t think he’d ever get tired of it, the way their lips fitted so perfectly together.
“Then we don’t move,” Jungkook replied, kissing him as if he were a precious thing.
“You really can’t refuse me anything,” Jimin smiled, the next kiss landing on his teeth.
“You’re a Prince. I live to serve.”
And despite being smaller and completely engulfed in Jungkook’s arms, Jimin did feel like a prince. The devotion that was pouring from their bond was such that he let his head fall back when Jungkook’s attention turned to his neck.
The feeling that flared between them was magnified by the bond, and Jimin’s breath stuck in his throat.
“Breathe,” Jungkook reminded him, his kisses getting heavier. His tongue joined in, leaving wet kisses along his skin, and Jimin’s breath came out as a whine.
He needed to be closer still to Jungkook, chest to chest wasn’t enough. He gripped Jungkook’s shoulder and pulled, until his thighs were suddenly being gripped.
Before he realized it, he was in Jungkook’s arms, feet off the ground. He thought about complaining, but the ease with which Jungkook was handling him made his head turn.
“Jungkook,” he gasped, “We should…”
“You’re the one who doesn’t want us separated,” Jungkook said, one hand slipping under Jimin’s shirt.
Jungkook was frustrated with his clothes, making Jimin annoyed in return. Their emotions were bleeding into each other, the desire of one feeding the other’s. Jimin was about to yank on his own shirt when they both startled.
Someone was flying overhead.
When they raised their heads, they saw Seokjin and Yoongi flying towards them, carrying Namjoon and Hoseok.
“Shit…” Jungkook groaned, a feeling echoed by Jimin.
He wiggled, Jungkook taking a few seconds too long to let him down.
“Later,” Jimin said.
Jungkook didn’t look convinced, so Jimin leaned up to kiss him one last time.
“Are you with me?” he asked again. He would still need reassurance for some time. That was just who he was.
Jungkook looked at him, and Jimin couldn’t believe how wild his emotions were, when he looked so composed on the outside. This was who he had always been, even when Jimin had no idea.
“All the way,” Jungkook said, right as the others landed.
“Thank you for the sign,” Hoseok said, climbing down Yoongi’s back. “We didn’t even have to look for you.”
Jimin raised an eyebrow, but it was Jungkook looking down that made him look at the forest floor.
It was covered in wildflowers, in a circle around them, so bright and colorful that the others surely had seen it from the sky.
Jimin blushed. He hadn’t even noticed them.
“I guess that means you finally talked,” Yoongi said, stretching.
Hoseok smiled, and Jimin looked away.
“They did more than that.”
“That’s none of your business,” Jungkook replied, but it lacked any bite.
“Jimin?” That was Namjoon. “Are you alright?”
He nodded. “I am. We… I know that we’re mates.”
Although he had been the one saying it, they all turned to look at Jungkook. Their reaction ranged from shock to disappointment.
“So, you are mates…” Hoseok said quietly, hands closing into fists. “That’s not what you told us.”
“We asked,” Namjoon said, jaw clenched. “And you looked at me in the eyes when you told me that you weren’t.”
Jimin refrained himself from intervening. He could feel the guilt radiating from Jungkook’s side of the bond, and although part of him instinctively wanted to ease that pain, he also needed to hear what Jungkook would say.
“I lied,” Jungkook nodded. His eyes were still red, but he held his head high. “I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”
“Of course, you shouldn’t have!” Hoseok exclaimed. “Do you realize what pain you caused Jimin?”
Jimin raised a hand. “That’s between me and him.”
Hoseok sighed, frustrated. “But it is true. You kept asking us about what mates were, and part of me still wondered.”
Jimin looked at Namjoon. He had to be sure. “You never felt it?”
Namjoon shook his head, frustrated. “It’s like Hoseok said, we all asked that first day, and when Jungkook shut it down… You were an open book and I could see your feelings, but I thought maybe your attachment was caused by Jungkook saving you and staying by your side. As for Jungkook… You’ve been impossible to read for a while. So closed off…” He paused, and a smile bloomed on his face. “But I can feel you now.”
Jimin nodded. His friends had had their doubts, but they hadn’t outright lied to him. He wondered what would have happened, if they had talked to him about their doubts, and shut it down. He couldn’t rewrite the past.
“And you’ve accepted the bond?”
It was Seokjin. He hadn’t talked yet, eyes on his brother.
There was a tangle of emotions in Jungkook, something so difficult, full of admiration, resentment and love that Jimin couldn’t understand it all.
“Yes,” Jungkook replied. “I have.”
“Even if it means that you’re weak.”
He was throwing Jungkook’s words right back at him. The others, Namjoon especially, winced. Jimin wondered how many times they’d had this conversation. How often they had seen Jungkook reject their care because of this perceived ‘weakness’.
“Even so,” Jungkook said. “I… I can help in other ways.”
It wasn’t what Seokjin had wanted to hear.
“All right,” he said, defeated, “What’s the plan then?”
“You’ve seen Taehyung’s letter,” Jimin said. “I need to get to this meeting.”
“And then what?” Namjoon asked. “You think you can make your father change his mind?”
Jimin shook his head. “Impossible. I have a few ideas, but we’ll discuss them on our way. The meeting is in two days.”
“We’re not fitting in there,” Yoongi said, pointing at the boat. “And we shouldn’t fly much further away, we’re getting too close to human controlled territories.”
So far into the forest… Jimin needed to do something.
“What do you suggest?” Namjoon asked.
“We walk. If we keep a fast pace, we’ll get close by tomorrow night. We’ll hide then, until it’s time to sneak Jimin in. Jungkook, I supposed you’re healed enough to follow?”
Hoseok suddenly gasped. “Because you’re mates! That explains why you healed so well.”
“Told you Junseok wasn’t that good a healer,” Yoongi said. “We should get going, then. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
Before they left, Hoseok gave a little nudge to Jimin’s boat, making sure that the water would get it back to Seorabeol.
It was a little jarring, to go from sailing on his own to walking with the others, especially when tension was still high between some of them. That, and the fact that his mind was constantly brought back to the bond linking him and Jungkook.
For a moment, he wished that he was no one of importance. That he was a simple man, who could have time to enjoy this new feeling with Jungkook in private. That he wasn’t a prince, with a war to deal with.
It helped, when Jungkook walked up to his side and linked their hands together. Jimin had so many questions about the bond, and how the others had gone through their first moments with their mates. But that day, Yoongi kept them on such a fast pace that none of them could talk. They sometimes walked on paths, other times taking wide detours when Yoongi sensed something ahead of them. They weren’t running but by the time they stopped, with the last sunlight, Jimin’s legs were about to give out.
Yoongi, Seokjin and Jungkook were clearly more used to setting up camps than the other three. While Yoongi and Jungkook left to check the area and make sure that no one was close, Seokjin built a safe fire and even put some water to boil for them to make tea.
“The night won’t be cold but tea is always nice after a day like this.”
Jimin smiled. Namjoon had always been the one making them cup after cup, he hadn’t thought that Seokjin would share this trait as well. When the two of them went to look for the right plants for the tea, only Jimin and Hoseok were left at camp.
Jimin startled when Hoseok crushed him in a tight hug.
“What…”
“I’m sorry,” Hoseok said. “I should have seen it.”
Jimin sighed, and returned the hug. “To be honest, I don’t want any more apologies today,” he said. “I’d rather have some honest answers.”
Hoseok put him at arm’s length. “Anything.”
They sat side by side in front of the fire.
“Why were you so reluctant to talk about mates?” Jimin immediately asked. “If you didn’t know about me and Jungkook.”
“Tough questions first,” Hoseok winced. “I’ll be honest then. We talked about it with the others, after Jungkook told us that you weren’t his mate. We… We were so worried, and we didn’t know what to think. Jungkook told us that he had gone to the Palace to kill the King, and that sounded plausible. Bringing you back was also logical, since you were one of us. But letting you fly on his back was very out of character.” Hoseok ran a hand through his hair. “What you need to understand is that Jungkook had just killed for the first time a few days earlier. What Yoongi and Seokjin told us… We were horrified. And Jungkook didn’t speak with us unless you were there, so I started – and I can’t speak for the others – but I started to wonder if Jungkook wasn’t so far gone that he hadn’t even realized that he had found his mate and simply couldn’t see it.”
Jimin nodded without a word.
“And I didn’t want to bring this to you,” Hoseok continued, “You had your own problems, and although you seemed taken by Jungkook, you never talked about it. I didn’t know how much I should have told you about mates then.”
“Jungkook and I were always together.”
“When he was in Seorabeol, sure. But the rest of the time, when he was away, you seemed fine. And I don’t know what happened when you were alone, but you have to realize that you two are pretty good at hiding your true feelings. I honestly believed that you hated me at first.”
Jimin winced. “I haven’t exactly been raised to show my emotions to everyone.”
“I know, I’m not saying it as a reproach,” Hoseok said, knocking their shoulders together. “But Jungkook was raised like that, and I really didn’t know what to make of him these past few months. He didn’t smile or laugh anymore. He didn’t come to see us when things were bad…”
Jimin opened his mouth to protest, but then realized that it would only prove the point. Jungkook had smiled and laughed with Jimin. He had also avoided talking about the war, but there had been a few moments where he had shown some vulnerability, and Jimin could now see just how rare this must have been, after losing himself all these months ago.
Jungkook had rejected the bond, but the bond had still managed to pierce through and keep him afloat.
“Thank you for telling me this. Although…”
“What?”
Jimin turned to face him. “Is the bond always going to be this strong? I can feel so many things from him, it’s… overwhelming.”
Hoseok chuckled and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Oh Jimin, that’s only the beginning! You’ll get used to it, but it will probably get worse before it gets better.”
“Really?”
Hoseok pressed his lips together, amused. “I mean, you are mates, and you have now recognized and accepted the bond. Now, you could choose to keep it at that. The bond would settle after a while and you would still share some emotions, but it would be completely possible to have another relationship.”
Jimin bristled, and Hoseok laughed. “I don’t think that’s what you and Jungkook will choose to do, right? I mean, I couldn’t see very well when we were flying, but before we found you…”
“What if we don’t keep it… friendly?” Jimin interrupted him.
“The bond will settle down just the same, but…” Hoseok badly tried to stop himself from smiling. “After accepting the bond, the first few times you’ll be intimate will be very...”
“Oh Gods, all right!” Jimin stopped him, blushing when Hoseok kept laughing. “Worse before it gets better, I get it.”
“You should probably seek a place further away to sleep tonight.”
“Oh please, we can control ourselves.”
Hoseok gave him a look. “You just accepted the bond. Trust me, you won’t. In other circumstances, Jungkook shouldn’t even have been able to leave you for too long.”
Jimin rubbed his chest. He had simply thought himself tired from their day of walking. “So that’s what it is…”
“Goddess, you two I swear!” Hoseok exclaimed, hitting Jimin’s arm. “So ready to accept pain! Just for once, be selfish and listen to your instincts.”
Jimin mumbled. That sounded a little too much like what he had told Jungkook not so long ago.
“Just choose a place where we can’t hear you,” Hoseok continued. “You’re my brother, and Jungkook’s pretty much as well, I can’t…”
“Can you stop!”
Yoongi and Jungkook found them a while later, throwing sticks at each other, and didn’t dare ask questions. Namjoon and Seokjin came back soon after.
The others ate and talked about the path they would take the next day, but Jimin was too tired to participate. Or rather, too distracted. Jungkook had sat next to him, close enough that their knees barely touched. It wasn’t nearly enough, and all Jimin could think about was how to move closer. If Jungkook even wanted him to. The fairy was making an effort to join the others’ conversation, and Jimin felt an annoyance that he shouldn’t have.
How was he supposed to work out a plan, if all he could think about was how Jungkook’s thighs were so much larger than his own.
Perhaps it had been a mistake, to let their bond take hold now.
A moment later, he jumped. Jungkook’s hand had landed on his thigh. Was it in a normal spot, or maybe a little too high? How was he supposed to know what was normal for a fairy or not? He wasn’t feeling much from the bond, and suddenly realized that it was because of him. Without thinking about it, he had retreated into himself, and when he looked at Jungkook, he could see his handsome face furrowed in confusion.
Jimin tried for a smile, but Jungkook’s reaction told him that it must have looked like a grimace.
Jimin didn’t know why he was on the defensive. He wanted to get away from the fire. He was too hot, too exposed in the middle of the group. And what was he supposed to do, when Jungkook’s hand tightened around his thigh?
He stood up. It must have been sudden, because the others stopped talking. Jimin had been raised to act normal when all eyes were on him, but he wasn’t feeling like himself.
“I… I’m not going far.”
No one replied, and he refused to wait for their reaction. He turned around and left camp, forcing himself not to run. Of course, without the light from the fire, he quickly stumbled in the dark, having to pause with his hand against a tree. He didn’t know what to make of the storm in his chest, didn’t know what to feel.
“Hey.”
A hand settled on his shoulder, and Jimin melted against Jungkook’s chest.
“I’m here,” Jungkook said, arms wrapping around him.
Jimin hadn’t even realized he’d had a headache until now, when his head finally cleared.
“Yoongi told me that I shouldn’t have left you,” Jungkook sighed, kissing the top of his head. “I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m sorry.”
“No more apologies.” Jimin let his head fall against Jungkook’s neck, breathing in deeply as the world started to feel right again. Chest against chest, the bond was opening up again, and the warmth of Jungkook’s love made him sigh with content. “How do people deal with this?”
“Apparently, it’s easier when you don’t spend months ignoring it… At least that’s what Yoongi said.”
It was clear that Jungkook wanted to apologize again but since Jimin had asked him not to, he kissed Jimin’s temple instead.
“I don’t want to go back,” Jimin admitted in a low voice. “Not tonight.”
Jungkook linked their fingers together. “We won’t.”
He led them further away, leaving enough distance between them and the others for Jimin to feel like they were truly alone again. When Jungkook stopped in front of the largest tree around, he understood.
“I don’t know how fast I can carve this without raw magic.”
Jungkook left a kiss under his ear and he shivered.
“Take your time. I’ll go back to camp, grab our bags and something for you to eat. You barely touched your food.”
Jimin hadn’t really noticed, and he didn’t want Jungkook to leave, but he knew that he was right.
“I’ll do my best,” he said.
He leaned his head, asking for a kiss, and Jungkook immediately obliged.
“I’ll be quick,” Jungkook whispered a moment later. He kissed him one more time, and left where they’d come from.
Jimin got to work, hands on the tree in front of him. It wasn’t as fast as what he’d done next to the pool of magic, but the excitement he felt growing in his lower belly made him carve as quickly as he could. It was crude, the walls not as smooth as he could have made them, but he molded the wood to make an opening large enough for them to fit comfortably.
He could feel his frenzy reflected through the bond. Annoyance flared at some point, and Jimin knew that Jungkook had reached camp again. That the others were surely making their own comments. He felt immensely grateful that Jungkook had gone instead of him. Hoseok’s conversation had been embarrassing enough.
He had to pause for a second to let out a trembling sigh before working again. He knew what was going to happen. Jungkook knew it as well, the anticipation building up even across the distance.
It had been a while since Jimin had last shared his bed with someone – another prince on a diplomatic trip – and he knew that this would be nothing like what he was used to. Jungkook was already making his head turn, handsome and so attentive to him. He’d never seen him without his clothes on but Jimin knew, perhaps because he’d let himself dream about it a few times, that he was strong.
He thought about this morning, when Jungkook had so easily carried him, and shivered. He smoothed the surface of the wood as best he could. He imagined himself laying there, later, Jungkook looming over him.
Would Jungkook find him desirable then? He wanted to be, for him.
“Jimin.”
He jumped, as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. By now, his eyes had gotten used to the moonlight, and he could see that Jungkook’s chest was rising too fast. Perhaps he’d run. His eyes were sliding over Jimin’s body, still kneeling as he’d been working out the last knots in the wood.
His heart thumped in his ears when Jungkook let their bags fall next to the tree and walk closer. Jimin sat on the edge of the small shelter, blocking the path, but Jungkook walked between his legs, eyes not leaving his face.
“You worked fast,” he said, and Jimin felt goosebumps appear on his arms.
Unconsciously, he arched his back. He wanted Jungkook to touch him first.
“I tried my best. Do you want to come inside?”
Jungkook’s eyes felt like a physical touch, moving down to his lips, his chest, then lower down. He was starting to get hard, he realized, his pants too tight for him, and Jungkook’s gaze didn’t help. He breathed louder. Jungkook hadn’t even touched him yet, but he opened his legs wider.
“Do you want me?” He needed to ask, no matter how embarrassing it was.
Jungkook’s hands sneaked their way under his shirt, nails raking up his sides. Jimin bit his lower lip, stifling a moan.
“Can’t you feel what I’m feeling?” Jungkook’s voice was deeper, gruff, as if the words cost him.
Jimin could feel it all, enhancing his own desire. Jungkook wanted him so much, heat consuming the bond, but it wasn’t enough. Jungkook had wanted him before, and had rejected him nonetheless.
“Say it,” he asked.
Jungkook must have sensed his insecurity, amidst the raw need. One of his hands came up to cup Jimin’s neck, holding him while he kissed him deeply. This time, Jimin moaned, high strung when Jungkook’s tongue found his own.
“I want you,” Jungkook answered, biting his lower lip and pulling on it. Jimin let him, completely trusting that Jungkook would make him feel good. “I want you so much I don’t know what to do.”
“Clothes,” Jimin whispered, trying to keep up when his head was getting foggy with desperate need.
Jungkook removed his shirt, then Jimin’s, before leaning down to kiss his naked shoulder. His mouth moved down, kissing lower and forcing Jimin to lie down. He eagerly latched onto Jimin’s chest. Jimin had never thought himself particularly sensitive there, but the sight of Jungkook’s mouth on his nipples made his hips jerk up.
“Let me.” Jungkook’s mouth moved down, tongue running down his stomach, firing heat in Jimin’s lower belly. He stopped for a second, eyes finding Jimin’s as he unfastened his pants. He didn’t even remove them, just opened them enough for Jimin’s cock to sprung free.
“Jungkook…” This was too much, Jungkook’s face so close to this part of him while he was just laying there, not doing anything. Traces of Jungkook’s saliva were still shining on his chest. He felt like he was not doing enough.
“Please,” Jungkook said, a note of despair in his voice. “Let me take care of you.”
Jimin could feel it, this need of Jungkook. Right now, he would have done anything to make him feel good.
Jimin nodded, his entire body shaking, and let out a cry when Jungkook took him in his mouth. It was indecent, the way Jungkook immediately moved up and down, tongue warm around his shaft, like he was starving for him.
Jimin tried to control his hips, but Jungkook’s hands went back to his chest, playing with his nipples, and he bucked up, pushing further inside his mouth. Jungkook groaned around him but never stopped, sometimes moving up to suck the tip of his cock before taking him entirely again, making Jimin cry louder.
He didn’t last long. Not when he’d wanted Jungkook for so long. Not with the bond so new, leaving them entirely open to each other. Not with Jungkook’s tongue playing with the underside of him, making Jimin’s heart stutter.
He called out Jungkook’s name, faster and louder.
Jimin felt like he lost consciousness for a moment, releasing while Jungkook refused to let him go, mouth fully wrapped around him.
When he came back to himself, he had tears in the corner of his eyes and his breath refused to go back to normal.
“Jungkook,” he called, desperate.
“I’m here.” Jungkook kept touching him as he removed his own pants, then kissed Jimin’s thigh as he helped him out the last of his clothes.
Jimin found the strength to help him when Jungkook took out both of their blankets from their bags. There was something so intimate in this moment, Jimin gently pushing him to the side so he could lay down the blankets, and Jungkook kissing his shoulder while they both placed their clothes around the small space, making it more comfortable.
He was glad to have carved a large enough hole, Jungkook’s wings fitting without looking too cramped.
“Can I touch them?”
Jungkook smiled. “You’ve been waiting a long time for that.”
“Too long.” Jimin lay down and patted the spot next to him. “Here.”
The moonlight was reflecting on their naked bodies, and Jimin couldn’t believe how beautiful Jungkook was. He murmured it, and was rewarded by a long kiss when Jungkook followed him, propping himself on his forearm to look over him. He was hard, and Jimin’s breath got stuck in his throat, head swimming with possibilities. He wanted everything from Jungkook, to have him in his mouth, to take it in his hands, and to have it in himself. There weren’t enough hours in the night for what he wanted to do. His own cock twitched again, images of being taken by Jungkook making him shiver with need. When he looked back up, Jungkook’s eyes were dark with desire.
“Like what you see?”
Jimin let his hand drift over Jungkook’s thigh, slowly going back up. He imagined these thighs hitting him repeatedly. “I do,” he replied, fingers following the curve of his backside, “You’re strong.” He continued his path by barely touching Jungkook’s cock, fingers trailing along its length. He smiled when he saw Jungkook’s jaw clench, and his hand continued on his lower belly. “I’m lucky to have a mate as beautiful as you are.”
He couldn’t tell what affected Jungkook the most, his hand moving up his chest, grazing his nipple, or his words. By the time he moved a hand behind his back, touching the base of his wings, Jungkook was hovering above him, pupils blown wide. His side of the bond was erratic. Still, he let Jimin continue his exploration without a word.
“Have you ever flown with someone else before?”
The wings were soft, full of a magic that was different from his own, but still familiar. There were goosebumps all over Jungkook’s arms, and Jimin smiled. He could hardly think, with Jungkook’s cock against his thigh.
“No. I never liked people touching them.”
Jimin’s smile widened. “You like it now.” The pleasure he felt was primal, the satisfaction of having Jungkook in a way no one else ever would.
‘I do.” Jungkook leaned closer, short of breath. He looked hesitant, as if the moment he’d let himself kiss Jimin again, he’d never stop.
Jimin opened his legs. Jungkook glanced down but didn’t move.
There was something powerful about lying there, completely bare and open. He had Jungkook’s eyes on him, had his hand on his wings, and was the only one who would ever be in this position. This look of worship was meant only for him.
“Will you take me flying again?”
Jungkook leaned closer. “Yes.”
Without breaking eye contact, Jimin let go of his wing and put his thumb against Jungkook’s lower lip. “I’m your mate. You're mine.”
Jungkook barely nodded. Jimin didn’t know who would devour the other first. He took Jungkook’s hand and led it downward, towards his open legs.
“If I’m yours, then take me.”
Jungkook nestled between his legs and descended on his mouth.
It wasn’t elegant, but Jimin had stalled them for too long. Their movements were chaotic, hands trembling with need. Jungkook messily pushed his fingers inside Jimin’s mouth, removing them when he deemed it wet enough, and replacing them with his own mouth. When he felt the first finger breach inside him, Jimin’s cry was muffled by Jungkook’s tongue.
His hands were roaming over Jungkook’s back, sometimes grabbing his hair, sometimes pushing his backside to have him closer. But Jungkook wasn’t done with him, fingers working in and out to prepare him.
When he tried to take Jimin’s cock, his hand was pushed away.
“No,” Jimin gasped, though it sounded more like a plea than an order. “It’s too much.”
He was more than ready, and Jungkook’s fingers were too good at bringing him pleasure, finding all the right spots and being just rough enough to make him cry out, but that wasn’t what he wanted.
“Please,” he begged when Jungkook moved back. His mouth was numb, his lips covered with spit, his own and Jungkook’s. “Please, do it.”
Jungkook looked dazed and he nodded, as if there was nothing he wouldn’t have done for him. He didn’t ask him for any more confirmation. Instead, he put an arm on Jimin’s knees and pushed them up. Looking down, he guided his cock inside Jimin.
The long groan they both let out, feeling every inch slowly being pushed inside, was the release of months of pent-up frustration. Jimin felt his head swim, body high strung with pleasure, and he thought he would come when Jungkook finally stopped, entirely inside him.
They stayed still for a moment. Jungkook’s eyebrow furrowed, as if he was trying not to let go too soon.
“You feel so good,” Jimin breathed out, reaching out to touch his face.
Jungkook took his hand and put it over his chest. Hoseok had been right, this was more intense than Jimin could have ever imagined. Their bond was completely open, and there were so many emotions that couldn’t be parsed through, but the main ones, love and desire, were large enough to shadow the rest.
It was too much, more than he’d ever deserve, and so powerful that he felt his eyes water.
“Move, please…”
Jungkook brought him back to the physical world by moving away, making Jimin whimper, before pushing back inside, with more force than expected.
This was what they’d been building up to. Once Jungkook started moving, he couldn’t stop. He leaned down to kiss Jimin again, working his hips effortlessly, making him cry out every time he bottomed out. The slap of his thighs hitting his skin sounded louder than it should have over their panting.
Jimin could barely breathe, between Jungkook’s deep kisses and his thrusts, pressed against the blankets. He was glad he’d taken time to smooth it out, Jungkook’s weight pushing him down, making him feel lightheaded.
He crossed his feet behind Jungkook’s back, keeping him close, and in turn, Jungkook wrapped himself around him. He abandoned Jimin’s mouth and moved to his neck, licking and biting the skin there, panting as his rhythm increased.
They were getting close. Chest to chest, Jimin could feel Jungkook’s pleasure more acutely. He could sense how good it was for him, to push inside, to rotate his hips to find the right angle, to have his body be strong enough to please his mate.
Jimin brought his arms around Jungkook, careful of his wings, not letting move away. As if Jungkook would. The thrusts were getting shallower, faster, more desperate. Jungkook called out his name against his skin, and slipped a hand between them.
The moment he grabbed his cock pushed Jimin over the edge. His body couldn’t thrash, held down as it was, but he let out a long moan, nails biting Jungkook’s back.
Jungkook pushed once, twice, and stilled deep inside him. They held each other through it, all of it shared between them.
“Breathe,” Jimin panted against Jungkook’s hair, caressing his back.
He felt the puff of air against his neck. “I love you,” Jungkook croaked.
“I love you,” Jimin said, kissing the side of his face. He could feel how overwhelming this was for Jungkook and he hugged him tighter, whispering words of love against his skin.
It took them a while to detangle and even then, they couldn’t stop touching.
Together, they went to a small river nearby to wash up, and Jimin wasn’t even ashamed when Jungkook carried him back to their tree. He was relishing every single touch, loving how attentive they were of each other. Through the bond, he knew that Jungkook was feeling vulnerable, and he did everything he could to reassure him.
Once they were lying down again, Jimin didn’t feel like sleeping. They were facing each other, legs tangled and arms around each other's waist. Jimin chuckled. They apparently couldn’t stop looking at each other.
“Is it always going to be like this?”
Jungkook gave him a small smile. “The others said it gets calmer, but I can’t imagine feeling any… less.”
“Me neither,” Jimin admitted, hand going up to Jungkook’s chest. “It’s scary.”
“What is?” Jungkook’s voice was quiet.
“How much you love me. Part of me still can’t believe it, but it’s hard to argue against this.”
Jungkook nodded. “Me too. I don’t know how you can love me so much, but you do.”
“We’ll just have to trust each other,” Jimin said, leaning down to kiss him. There was no heat in it, just pure affection that he could feel echoed in the bond.
He moved back, and snorted when he realized just how intensely Jungkook was still watching him.
“You know,” he said, “You do watch me a lot. Even before. But then, I thought that you were like that with everyone. Just… intense.”
That made Jungkook smile. “No, only with you. I was fascinated.”
Jimin’s eyes widened. He had been told that he was beautiful, elegant or pretty, but ‘fascinating’ had never been on the list.
Jungkook reached out to touch his face. “You don’t look like any other fairies. Your ears,” his fingers outlined them. “They’re round. We have sharp features but you…” He touched his eyebrows, his nose and finally his lips. “You’re mesmerizing. Your mouth especially. It’s a good thing that you talked a lot. I had a good excuse to watch it.”
Jimin flushed, at a loss for words.
“Your body is also different,” Jungkook continued. “You have more curves than us. I’d never seen anyone more beautiful.”
“Why didn’t you come with me to the bathhouse then?” Jimin asked, trying to hide his embarrassment with a joke.
Jungkook groaned. “You have no idea. You kept asking me to join you, but I knew that I would have made a fool of myself.”
“What? With a body like yours?”
“I mean, I had a good excuse to watch your mouth. I wouldn’t have had a good excuse to watch everything else, if I had come with you.”
He laughed when Jimin hid his face against his chest and kissed his cheek.
“It was so strange. I knew that I needed to keep you at arm’s length, and yet…” He paused. “I don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.”
Jimin moved away. “You’re finally mine. I’m never stopping you from talking.”
Jungkook nodded, the vulnerability from earlier coming back. “It’s just… I don’t remember much about the months leading up to the Hwando fight, but I could feel myself getting more… detached. I was stronger, and I was doing so well in battle, but everything else was a blur. And it was worse after I… You know,” he said, looking away.
Jimin could feel the weight of his guilt. He knew.
“I would have killed them too,” Jungkook continued, his voice a whisper. “Seokjin and Yoongi. I didn’t recognize them at first. It was like something had broken, and I couldn’t stop the violence.”
There was nothing Jimin could have said that would have made it better. Instead, he took one of Jungkook’s hand and kissed it.
“I don’t know how I got myself out of there,” Jungkook continued, “But then… I get called to you. And the whole world comes back into focus again. I wasn’t back to normal yet, I still don’t remember much of the times I went back to fight, but every time I was with you, I was there. And it worked for a while, because I could still fight and be useful, but when I came back, you were the only person I could really see.”
“But that wasn’t a good thing,” Jimin said gently.
“I know,” Jungkook admitted. “And it’s over now. The world has never been clearer, and I know I’ll never get back to that state. I’m just… I’m scared of what will happen now. Not just the war but… the others as well. I’ve been so awful – ”
“Don’t say that. You’re willing to change now, right?”
Jungkook sighed. “Yes, but you have to understand. I didn’t care about… anything. I couldn’t care about their feelings, I couldn’t care about what was right or wrong. And now, it’s all crashing back. I care about what the others think. About how I made them feel. I care about what I’ve done, about the humans I…” He paused, unable to say the word. “I don’t know how anything I could do now would make things right again.”
Jimin cupped his cheek, and Jungkook leaned into it, eyes closed tightly.
“It will take time. The others will forgive you more easily than you imagine, and don’t say you don’t deserve it, that’s not your call to make,” he said, and Jungkook gave him a sad smile. “As to what you’ve done… I believe that’s what will take the longest. I won’t pretend to know what it feels like, but I can sense that guilt inside you… I know it will take a while before you’re fully able to look at it.”
He leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together.
“I’ll be there. You’re not dealing with this alone.”
Jungkook brought him closer, and hugged him close to his heart.
Though it wasn’t the most comfortable, they held themselves to sleep that night.
In the small hours of morning, while the moon slowly made its way down, they woke up and Jungkook slowly made love to him again, quiet moans filling the air.
Jimin couldn’t get himself to regret it, not even with a day of walking ahead of them. This, Jungkook breathing against his neck and moving in sync with him, was worth it.
They didn’t get teased too much when they came back to camp. Hoseok raised an amused eyebrow, and that was the end of it. Jimin supposed that it helped, the fact that both couples were mates as well. They had gone through this, though not perhaps in the same circumstances, and knew that it was not laughing matter.
Yoongi led them onward, with the same quick pace. They took more detours that day, and Jimin guessed that there were more and more human camps around them, though he still couldn’t see any traces of the soldiers.
Jungkook seemed to be seeing them, as he progressively got closer to Jimin, his hand sometimes moving to his sword’s handle. Yoongi started guiding them with gestures. At this point, with the daylight slowly decreasing, they were walking in a tight formation, one after the other.
Yoongi stopped them before sunset. The others moved closer and he whispered, “It’s too dangerous now. Jimin, do you think you can twist these branches to make us a proper place to rest?”
Jimin looked up. The tree they’d stop next to was tall, its foliage thick enough to hide anything hiding in its branches.
He nodded. With some help, he climbed up the tree until it almost got uncomfortable. He’d gotten used to the extreme heights of Seorabeol but there were no handrails here. Still, he managed to bend enough branches to create a small platform to fit them all. It was small, so there would be no privacy that night, but Jimin was now too tense to think of anything other than their safety. He still welcomed Jungkook’s arms around him when they settled for the night.
“Once it gets dark,” Yoongi said, a while later, “I’ll go down, alone. I want to inspect the meeting spot. See if it’s a trap.”
“Taehyung wouldn’t have lied,” Jimin said.
“But someone could have lied to him.”
“What if you get caught?”
Yoongi’s mouth quirked. “Unlikely. Even so, I’ll fly away and take the long way back on foot. Don’t worry.”
Hoseok was worrying, and the rest of them pretended not to listen while they said goodbye. Jimin held onto Jungkook’s hand tighter. He couldn’t admit it, but he was glad that Jungkook hadn’t been the one to go out alone.
After Yoongi left, Namjoon turned towards him.
“Now, what will you say tomorrow?”
Jimin had a few ideas. He didn’t know exactly who would be there, but he didn’t only need to convince his father. In fact, he wasn’t even sure that he should try at all, and had instead wondered if he shouldn’t rally all the other kingdoms against the Park King.
Still, even after everything, it was also his kingdom. He didn’t want this war to stop only for another to start between the humans. Hate would only create more hate. The humans would come back to the forest, sooner or later.
The others had ideas of their own. Hoseok wanted to be present at the meeting, while Seokjin and Namjoon argued against it. Jimin was the link, they insisted, the only one who could be taken seriously by other humans. Bringing in fairies would only create chaos.
In the end, they agreed not to show themselves but to stay close enough to reach him, in case things went south.
Jungkook was the quietest. He listened and nodded a few times, but something was on his mind. The emotions Jimin got through the bond weren’t enough, and he squeezed his hand with an inquisitive look.
“What happens,” Jungkook asked reluctantly, “If the king refuses to hear you?”
The others quieted.
“I’m sure that the other kings don’t want this war as much as he does. By showing myself and revealing my father’s lie, I’ll convince a few of them.”
“Even if everyone else goes back home,” Jungkook insisted. “Do you think he will? And if he refuses… What then?”
Jimin knew the answer to that, but couldn’t get himself to say it.
Jungkook looked at him, unwavering but with a look of sadness.
“You won’t be able to kill him, Jimin. None of us will.”
Jimin opened his mouth, but no sound came out. In every scenario, Jimin had refused to look past a certain point. He’d imagined how to convince the generals and the other Kings but… He’d never let himself think about what he would have to do, if one last person, the most important one, refused to hear him out.
“I’m part human,” he said with difficulty. “Maybe I could.”
Jungkook’s thumb caressed the back of Jimin’s hand. “You still call him ‘father’.”
“I know,” Jimin whispered. “But he can’t be allowed to rule anym–”
Seokjin raised a hand.
At the same time, Jungkook put a hand on the sword lying next to him.
Jimin closed his mouth.
Silence.
He couldn’t hear anything at first and waited, sitting so straight his back hurt.
After a few seconds, he heard them.
Voices.
More than a dozen. Talking quietly, but without tension. Some of them were joking, though never too loud. They must have been taught to stay quiet at all times, but had walked this path often enough to know that they were safe here.
So safe in fact, that none of them looked up. The tree hid them well, and Jimin had created a platform that blended seamlessly with it. There were no reasons to suspect that anyone was there.
For the first time, Jimin felt a dissonance in the bond. While he was frozen in fear, Jungkook’s stillness resembled that of a predator, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The humans had lanterns, and the little light it brought up to them made something in Jungkook’s eyes shine.
He wouldn’t kill anymore, but he was very much a soldier still. He and Seokjin looked more than ready to defend themselves if need be, their eyes never leaving the branches below.
They waited for the group to pass, only letting out the smallest sigh of relief when the humans disappeared.
“Goddess, I hope Yoongi’s fine,” Hoseok murmured.
“If anyone can sneak past them, it’s him,” Namjoon said, putting a reassuring hand on his back. “We should try and get some sleep.”
It was easier said than done. They barely fit laying down, and Jimin added some protection around them so no one could fall during their sleep. Hoseok wasn’t going to get any while Yoongi was out there, and it was clear that Seokjin and Jungkook were too much on their guard to close their eyes either. Namjoon lied down, but he was shuffling too much to fool anyone, and he ended up with his head on Seokjin’s legs, while his mate was kept watch.
Jimin wasn’t doing any better but he forced him to close his eyes, trying not to think about their unfinished conversation. They could have argued all night about killing his father or not, but he couldn’t tell what the right course of action would be until the meeting itself.
Jungkook tried to help, wrapping himself around him and hiding the world from his vision. The only thing he let out through the bond was an unwavering sense of protection. Nothing could hurt Jimin. He was safe.
Jimin fell into an uncomfortable sleep, waking up often from the smallest sound or an uneasy dream. He could never remember what they were about, but there was a weight on his chest that even Jungkook’s arms couldn’t protect him from.
Every time he opened his eyes, he couldn’t have sworn he hadn’t slept but the moon had moved in the sky. Jungkook stayed awake, or at least he always was when Jimin came to, and although Jimin felt bad for him, it helped him fall back in another restless dream. His father was there, though he couldn’t tell which one, the faces blurred. His mother was there too, but there was disappointment in his dreams when she appeared. He saw himself. Not human, not fairy, but standing alone. Until a presence reminded him that he was not.
And then he’d wake up again.
But this time was different. Hushed whispers made him blink. The sky was barely beginning to light up. Dawn was here, and his limbs were so heavy he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.
“ – tents were too similar, I couldn’t take the risk.”
Yoongi.
Jimin let out a sigh of relief.
“Of course,” Namjoon said. “You were right.”
Against his hair, Jungkook whispered. “Wake up. Yoongi has news for us.”
Jimin sat down, trying to shake off the night’s restlessness. He winced when he saw how bad the others looked. Clearly, he’d been the only one able to get any sleep, no matter how terrible.
“We need to move,” Yoongi said, seeing that he was listening. “They changed the time of the meeting. It’s not midday anymore.”
Jimin straightened up, panic taking over. “When?”
“Early morning. The other kings want to leave as soon as possible.” He looked at Jimin. “I heard whispers, they’re not happy about this war. You do have a chance.”
“If I get there on time,” Jimin said, hurrying up to his feet. “How far is it?”
“An hour at most. I hadn’t realized how close I’d taken us. Their lines weren’t well guarded.”
“There were well enough,” Seokjin groaned. “There was a patrol at least every half hour. We were lucky not to be seen.”
Jimin had seen none of them.
“Do you think we’ll make it in time?”
Yoongi nodded.
“We stick to the plan.”
Jimin didn’t like what distance did to the bond.
The more he walked, the less he could feel Jungkook’s emotions. At first, the fear had been so strong he’d almost turned around to propose another plan.
Now, so close to the human camp, there was no turning back.
He didn’t like the distance, but it allowed him to stand up taller. It was a wonder he’d never crossed anyone’s path yet, but it gave him time to prepare. Time to slip into his old self.
“Stop right there!”
A dozen soldiers. Behind them, Jimin could see the first tents. They had been really close.
The soldiers ran towards him, drawing their weapons, a few of them taking out their bows.
Jimin stopped and waited for them to come closer, a cold look on his face. This confused the soldiers enough that the first in line stopped running.
“Don’t you recognize me?” Jimin asked.
They wouldn’t. His father had kept him far from the forest, foot soldiers had no reason to know his face.
Still, Jimin was dressed nicely. He’d taken with him the clothes he’d been wearing the day he’d left the Palace, laced with golden trims and of a higher quality. He looked the part, sneering down at them as if they were nothing but an inconvenience.
“We don’t recognize you, Sir.” Jimin held back a smile. They knew better than to insult a powerful man, even if they didn’t know who he was. “But you have no right to be here.”
“I have every right to be here. Tell me, who’s in charge here?”
They didn’t reply, but the way they looked at one of the women said it all.
“You,” Jimin said. “Bring me to my father.”
The woman frowned. “Your father, Sir?”
“King Park.”
Jimin watched it unfold with his hands pressed together behind his back. The incredulous stares, the low whispers… The woman in charge opened her mouth a few times.
“Prince Jimin?” she managed to get out.
“Obviously. I assume that my brothers are already here.”
She nodded, dazed.
“Good. Do you know of the meeting taking place this morning?”
Her eyes widened. She was starting to see that this was way above her paygrade. Jimin used that fear, and ordered, “I’m sure that you can see why it’s important that I attend this meeting.”
More soldiers were coming their way, curious about the trespasser. Whispers were going fast, just like Jimin wanted it.
“Wasn’t he supposed to be…”
“They said he was taken.”
“It can’t be – ”
Jimin cleared his throat.
“I am very much alive,” he said loudly, “And unless you plan on disobeying your Prince…”
“Please, Your Highness,” the woman said, sheathing her sword. “Follow me.”
She led the way, but the others fell behind Jimin. And the procession began.
The rumor was spreading fast, others joining as they entered the camp. Jimin could hear the doubts, the soldiers asking each other if he was truly the Prince, others wondering if the enchanted hadn’t sent him back, changed on the inside. No one dared stop him, but the rumors weren’t all good.
It didn’t matter. What counted the most was that his father couldn’t lie anymore, and that the soldiers were going to ask questions.
The time it took them to cross camp was enough to have gathered more than a hundred soldiers around him. They weren’t quiet by any means, and when his guide stopped in front of the largest tent around, soldiers quickly came out of it, ready to discipline the source of the trouble.
They found themselves facing Jimin, an army behind him.
One of these soldiers, from his father’s personal guard, recognized him immediately and fell into a deep bow after a moment of shock.
“Bring me to him,” Jimin commanded.
He’d made his tone deliberately cold, and the guard bristled. He couldn’t ask Jimin what his intentions were, but he also had a King to protect.
“I can’t let him continue spreading his lies about me,” Jimin said, loud enough for everyone around to hear. “I’ve come to explain my disappearance, and ask for an end to this senseless war.”
If all else failed, at least he could hope for a rebellion. The soldiers deserved to know that they were fighting a futile war. That there was another option.
“Your Highness…”
“I am unharmed,” Jimin said, raising his arms. “Let me through.”
The guard hesitated, but the tent’s flaps were pushed to the side, and someone else came out.
Jimin took a step back, though he should have expected that.
He and Wonshik looked at each other.
Jimin couldn’t tell who was the most surprised. He forced himself to keep a straight face and Wonshik put on the usual disgusted frown he wore in his presence.
His brother gave a look to the guard, turned around, and went back inside.
Jimin followed.
“By the Gods!” His father was crying out, “Wonshik, what’s happening?”
If Jimin hadn’t been so set on his mission, his father’s voice would have made him turn away. He hadn’t realized how familiar this particular tension had been. Part of him wanted to hide, the other needed to puff his chest to prove that he was worthy of being here.
And when the King’s eyes fell on him, Jimin froze.
He couldn’t help it. Years of wanting to be good enough, of needing to have this man’s approval… They’d shaped him to stand straighter, awaiting either snide remarks or punishment.
He couldn’t even look around to see if Taehyung was there, refusing to look away from his father. The King didn’t like it when he cowered.
“Oh, it’s you.”
Even sitting down, his father managed to look down on him.
“It is me,” Jimin said, grateful when his voice held strong.
“You’re alive.”
“I am.”
A vein flared at his father’s temple.
Jimin dared to throw a look around the room. There were at least twenty people sitting in a circle, his father presiding over them. He recognized most of them, from the Park’s own generals to the Kings or Princes of other kingdoms he’d visited. His eyes passed over the Kwon King, and he refused to let himself be distracted by thoughts of what his life could have become if he had obeyed his father.
“How did you come here?” His father asked, maintaining his cold façade. As if Jimin’s ‘coming back to life’ was nothing important.
But it was important to the rest of the room. The atmosphere was tense. Glances were being exchanged.
“Taehyung told me you were going to meet,” he answered honestly.
“Did he?” The control his father kept was truly admirable, but Jimin knew the signs. The King had been the one to teach him how to reply tersely in any interrogation. Any question from his part, any hint of emotion, could be used against him.
His father didn’t like that he couldn’t use anything against Jimin. Yet.
“And why did you come?”
“I believed it was important that you had all the right information.”
Wonshik, seated next to their father, gave him the same cold and calculated look. It couldn’t have been more clear how different Jimin was from the two of them.
“The right information…” His father drawled. “Go on.”
Jimin couldn’t hide his own annoyance at being ordered.
“Such as my death,” he said. “A small mistake, I suppose.”
His father snorted. “You’ve been gone for months. It wasn’t difficult to believe that you, of all people, wouldn’t have survived in the outside world.”
“It wasn’t difficult to make everyone else believe it,” Jimin agreed. “I heard it did wonders to convince others to join your war.”
The other Kings bristled at the implication that they’d been manipulated, but his father was unbothered.
Show no weakness. His greatest lesson, and one he himself lived by.
“Then please, do tell us where you were these past few months?”
“I was here,” Jimin said, raising his arms. “In the forest.”
“Ridiculous,” one of the general spat.
Before his father could speak, the Jun King leaned forward. “Weren’t you taken by the enchanted?”
“Taken?” Jimin asked. “Of course not. I joined them of my own free will.”
Cries of protest rose up, angry and bewildered.
Jimin and his father looked at each other, emotionless.
They both knew that this was it. That only one of them would come out on top.
And Jimin was ready to do anything for it to be him.
He prayed that he would be able to.
The King’s features morphed.
“You lived amongst these monsters?” He suddenly yelled above the others, bringing back silence into the room. “You are corrupted! You’re not the Jimin we knew. You can’t be.”
Others nodded, eyeing Jimin with fear and mistrust. Guards were standing at the ready, but no orders had been given yet.
“I left the Palace and lived amongst the enchanted for months,” Jimin said, voice getting progressively louder. “They welcomed me into Seorabeol, a city ten times larger than our own. They showed me their ways, they taught me who they were, and I came to realize how ridiculous this war has been. How selfish and cruel you’ve been!”
He pointed at his father. He wanted to accuse them all, for they were all guilty, but only one had to fall for this to stop.
“He’s gone mad!” his father cried out, others around agreeing. “Seize him! He’s not my son anymore.”
The guards took out their swords…
…and fell onto the ground in a clank of armor.
No one could see the branches wrapped around their ankles.
“What…”
“By the Gods!”
Jimin took a step further.
“What did you say?” he asked, jaw clenched. “I’m not your ‘son’ anymore?”
For the first time in his life, he saw something in his father’s eyes. Something he’d never seen before. It took him a moment to figure out what it was, and then it hit him.
It was remorse.
A wave of anger rolled through him.
“Am I not your son?!” he asked, even louder than before. “Have I ever been your son? Should I tell the whole room, or would you like a chance to explain your lies, and why you’ve put us all through this war for so long?”
His father opened his mouth, but Jimin beat him to it.
“You know, I don’t think that you deserve the chance.”
He kneeled and put a hand on the ground. There, magic came to him more easily than it ever had.
White flowers started to grow around, glowing with a light that could only mean one thing.
“You ask why I came?” Jimin rose to his feet, everyone around baffled into silence. “I told myself that it was for the war. That I had to stop everyone else from following this ridiculous revenge of yours. But there’s another reason.”
He welcomed the tears. There was no weakness in them.
In front of him, the King was white.
“Why did you keep me?” Jimin asked, voice cracking. “You could have come up with a lie. You could have even told the truth. No one would have expected you to keep the child of a fairy, even if I was the son of the Quee-”
“You don’t get to talk about her!” the King roared, suddenly standing up.
“And you don’t either!” Jimin shouted back. “You’ve been forcing us all into this war for decades, all because you couldn’t deal with the fact that Mother loved a fairy!”
“Enough!” The King yelled, hand on his sword.
“What if that man had been human?” Jimin continued, relentless, “Would you have killed every single person from that kingdom, until no man, woman or children was left? What would have been your excuse then?”
“I said enough!”
The King unsheathed his sword so fast that Jimin didn’t have the time to trip him up like he had with the soldiers.
“Stop!”
The King held back, sword raised.
Taehyung ran to Jimin’s side, hands raised. Jimin didn’t react, petrified in front of the King.
Despite everything the King had done, Jimin would have never imagined this man, the one who had raised him, capable of this.
“Move,” the King warned. “This isn’t about you.”
“Of course it is!” Taehyung cried out. “You are the King. The Protector of our kingdom. My father! And you lied to us all.”
“Taehyung…” His father warned again, his grip on his sword unfaltering.
“What does this all mean?” The Kwon King asked.
“Explain yourself!”
The others were getting worked up, and though their soldiers were still bound by Jimin’s magic, he couldn’t risk the ones outside interrupting the meeting.
He just needed the man in front of him to go down.
“The King isn’t my father!” he said loudly. “I was born from the Queen, but my true father was a fairy. I only learned about this the day I left the – ”
“Lies!” The King cried out, refusing to admit weakness. He took a step further but Taehyung stepped in between them. “Move, Taehyung!”
“I don’t know why my father kept me,” Jimin continued, speaking as fast as he could, heart wildly beating. “But anyone who’s ever met us knows that I was never treated like his true sons.”
No one denied that claim. They’d all seen it, him favoring the two sons who looked like him and ignoring Jimin any time he could.
“The only reason he hates the enchanted so much is because of that betrayal,” Jimin stuttered, afraid when he saw Taehyung move closer to the King. “He’ll never give up and I’m here to stop that! You don’t even know how little success you’ve had. How little territory you’ve actually gained from them, and how many soldiers you’ve lost for nothing!”
“Lies!” The King bellowed.
“Let him speak!”
“What do you mean?”
Before Jimin could say anymore, Taehyung was pushed to the side. He fell to the floor with a cry and tried to grab his father, but it was too late.
The King raised his sword above his head.
Terror kept Jimin frozen. The terror of a boy seeing his father hate him so much that he’d try to kill him.
He could have fought back. He had his mother’s dagger. He had magic.
But he couldn’t kill. Seeing his father closing the last steps between them, he could only think of Jungkook. He hadn’t understood before, what killing meant. He thought he’d be able to do it, that he was different. He could duck and plant his dagger in his father’s side.
He didn’t.
The King roared and brought his sword down.
It fell with a clank, right between them.
His father’s expression contorted with pain.
Jimin only saw it then, through the tears. The sword coming out of the King’s chest.
When the King fell to the ground with a loud thud, Jimin was left facing Wonshik.
His brother was paler than death, but he clenched his jaw and planted his sword into the ground, next to their father’s body.
“I’ve had enough!” Wonshik shouted, voice ringing in Jimin’s ears. “Enough of these lies! Enough of everything revolving around this Forest. And I’ve had enough of this war!”
“Wonshik!” Taehyung cried out.
He feared the same thing as Jimin. The hatred in their brother’s eyes was still very much there.
Wonshik shook his head.
“I’m not going to kill you. I knew there was something, that you weren’t like us, but…”
He paused, taking a deep breath in. When he spoke next, he sounded so much like the King that a chill moved up Jimin’s spine.
“I am done with this war. If what you say is true, if we barely made a dent into the enchanted territory, then we’ve lost countless good soldiers, and two decades of resources that could have been used on our own people.”
Jimin nodded. He did his best to keep his head high, mostly so he didn’t have to watch his father’s corpse anymore. Part of him wanted to lie down and touch him. But there was too much at stake.
“I’ve told you the truth. I came here with two representatives for the enchanted. If you’ll allow it, they’ll explain themselves better than I can.”
Their audience bristled at that. Wonshik sensed it as well and raised a hand.
“First, I need to know this.” Surprisingly, he turned towards the rest of the room, moving around to look at every person present. “As you all saw, my father had lost his mind. More than that, he lied to us, for so many years I can’t barely comprehend it. So I ask you this,” he paused gravely, looking eerily like the man at his feet. “Does anyone here want to contest my claim to the throne?”
There was a long silence. Taehyung rose to his feet and stood next to him, giving Jimin a sorry look. Jimin understood. They needed to give the appearance of a unified front. It was either that, or one of these men would use the chaos against the Park kingdom.
Suddenly, one of their generals stood up. Jimin realized that it was the same general that had been humiliated by his father, when reporting the fall of the Hwando camp, the day his father had sent Jimin away.
“The King is dead!” the man shouted. “Long live the King!”
“Long live the King!” The rest of the room repeated, though Jimin noticed a few keeping their mouths shut.
Wonshik nodded.
“Then, we’ll have to take care of my father first. He might have been a liar, but he was our King. He deserves a proper burial.”
That was the right choice. The other Kings seemed to be appeased by the idea that one of their own wouldn’t be desecrated.
“After that, we will deal with this war,” Wonshik continued, eyes back on Jimin. “Will you stay? We have a lot to talk about before we can meet with these… representatives.”
He paused. This time, no one protested.
He nodded again, satisfied.
“And then, I think it will be time for us to go home.”
The days that followed were the most surreal of Jimin’s life.
Getting out of that tent, the only thing he’d been able to do was to sit on a rock he found nearby and wait, empty.
Taehyung had waited with him, holding his hand, while every other general and King got out of that tent, just as befuddled as the soldiers waiting outside.
It wasn’t until Wonshik authorized the fairies to approach the camp, and until he was engulfed in Jungkook’s arms, that things started to make sense again.
So, the King was dead.
Long live Wonshik.
It was easier to think about that last part. Over the following days, Wonshik fell remarkably well into his new role. He was as charismatic and strong-willed as his father had been in his youth, and he wanted nothing more than to leave the forest.
He still disliked Jimin, that much was obvious, and he had no interest in keeping a good relationship with the magical world. He received Namjoon and Yoongi with almost indifference, easily agreeing to leave the forest immediately and not keep any of the territory that had been ‘won’.
In his own words, he refused to give a single more coin of their treasury to this ‘Gods forsaken place’.
However, he didn’t stop Taehyung when he proposed to become the ambassador between their people.
The only one Wonshik seemed to respect, even a little, was Jungkook. Half of it was that some human soldiers recognized the ‘Death Fairy’, and word of his reputation sparked either fear or awe, even amongst the humans. The other half was that Jungkook very openly hated him, and it seemed that Wonshik preferred that to how neutral Namjoon and Yoongi tried to be.
The six of them had been assigned to a single large tent and during the following days, they were either discussing and negotiating with the other kingdoms, or hiding inside, more often than not with Taehyung, to avoid the humans’ prying eyes.
There was never going to be any great friendship between humans and enchanted. Except for Taehyung, only one other kingdom appointed an ambassador, who would make the trip to Seorabeol. If Namjoon was disappointed by the lack of bond forming between the two worlds, he didn’t show it.
They all wanted to go home.
They buried the old King on the third day after the meeting.
It would take place at dusk, and Jimin could hear the soldiers building the pyre just outside the tent.
He was sitting on a chair, looking at his father.
The old King had been prepared well, his wound hidden behind beautiful clothes. His expression was hard, the scowl still present, even in death. Or maybe that was Jimin imagining things.
He didn’t know what to feel. He had hated the man. Had feared him. And he had also craved his attention and loved him, as a child who only had one parent left.
And now he was here, lying dead because of him.
He had pushed it down these past three days, ignoring anything that wasn’t the protection of his people. He could hardly ignore these feelings anymore.
There was a slight twinge in his chest, which he was starting to recognize as Jungkook worrying about him. Jimin didn’t know how he would have held up without him.
He sent a wave of love through the bond. They were getting better at it, and Jimin hoped that it would reassure Jungkook.
“It’s like he’s asleep.”
Jimin stood up and turned to offer Taehyung a small smile. His brother came to stand next to him, touching his shoulder.
“Still looks disappointed,” Jimin couldn’t help but say.
Taehyung made a thoughtful sound. Then, after a while, he said, “He wasn’t a good father.”
There was a knot in Jimin’s throat.
“No, he was not.”
Still, he raised a hand to remove an invisible speck from the King’s vest. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been hugged by the man. Probably when he was still a child.
“He never said why he kept me.”
“He was lost to hatred,” Taehyung said softly. “Whatever he thought at the time, we’ll never know.”
The tent’s flaps ruffled, and they looked behind.
Wonshik walked up to them, and stood on Taehyung’s other side.
The three of them stood silently, looking at the man who had raised them.
“I think she made him promise.”
Jimin stopped breathing for a moment.
“What do you mean?” Taehyung asked.
“You were too young, but I remember the weeks before she passed.”
Wonshik’s eyes were fixed on the King but he was talking to Jimin, with a kinder tone than he ever used in his life.
“They fought, then. They fought a lot. In a way, that made me feel better. She couldn’t be dying when she was this angry, at least that’s what I thought. I didn’t really understand what they were yelling about, but I remember her crying about a promise. She kept repeating it, and he would shout back, but she just kept yelling. These last days before she passed… You kept finding your way into her room. The door was locked but you always ended up in her bed anyway. I remember Father being furious, and they would yell again.”
An image came back to Jimin, one he had forgotten a long time ago. He didn’t remember the yelling, but he did remember the bed. Too large for the two of them. She would cradle him against her chest and run her fingers through his hair.
Taehyung put his head on his shoulder, and Jimin leaned back against him, blinking away the tears. He saw Taehyung and Wonshik holding hands.
“He was an awful father,” Wonshik said, voice wavering. “And he wasn’t a good King.”
“He would have called us weak, if he’d seen us crying over him,” Taehyung said, sniffling.
Jimin bit his lower lip.
“I wish he hadn’t left us alone,” he admitted.
Despite everything, he’d been their only parent left.
They stood in silence for a long time, the rest of the world continuing without them outside the tent.
Eventually, someone cleared their throat.
“Your Majesty. Your Highnesses…”
“I know,” Wonshik said, turning around. His expression had gone back to his usual determined frown. “Take him outside.”
Jimin pressed Taehyung’s hand one last time, before letting him go.
He had said his goodbyes.
He left the tent without a look behind.
Following his heart, he walked away with barely a glance to the pyre. Every soldier had come to witness the event, and he got a few bewildered looks as he walked away.
No one was patrolling anymore. There was no need for it.
The war was over. He had won.
He found Jungkook outside the camp’s bounds, sitting by a river. He was cleaning his sword, hopefully for the last time.
When he saw Jimin, he opened his arms.
Jimin fell into them, sobbing.
“What’s a few months, right? And I’ll get to travel on a magic boat, what’s not to like?”
Taehyung hugged Jimin tighter.
“You’ll be there in no time,” Jimin said, reassuring.
“Still, two months…”
They both wished that Taehyung could have come back with them to Seorabeol, but there were rules to follow before a royal ambassador could be sent, especially on such a momentous occasion.
They moved away from each other and laughed. For someone who had forced himself not to cry all his life, Jimin found himself tearing up for the flimsiest reason these days.
It had been a week now, and the humans were breaking camp. Yoongi and Hoseok had left the day before, flying back to Seorabeol to spread the news. Namjoon and Seokjin had been gone since morning.
Taehyung turned to look at Jungkook, who was standing a few steps behind Jimin.
“You sure you can keep him safe up there?”
Jungkook spread out his wings with a raised eyebrow.
“There’s no one I trust more,” Jimin said with a smile. “I’ll be fine.”
Taehyung was in awe. “Can I touch them?”
“Absolutely not,” Jimin replied. “Now go, they’re waiting for you.”
Taehyung begrudgingly left, though not after one last hug and making him promise to give him the tallest room in the tallest tree once he’d reach Seorabeol.
Jimin watched him leave with a smile. As much as he was sad to see his brother go, he couldn’t help the sigh of relief when silence fell upon the forest for the first time, it seemed, in this entire week.
He turned to face Jungkook, and laughed.
“You look even more relieved than me.”
Jungkook sighed, and closed the distance between them. He put his forehead against Jimin’s shoulder and Jimin hugged him, taking a deep breath.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” Jungkook said against his neck. “And to be alone with you.”
“Me too,” Jimin said. “And I’m sorry. I should have been with you more often.”
Jungkook moved back, eyebrows furrowed. “With everything going on? Dealing with the treaties, the funeral, finding your family again… It’s a miracle we’ve seen each other at all.”
“Still, I could feel the bond pull at me, and I know the humans weren’t fair to you.”
“You mean they were too busy either ogling me or trying to challenge me,” Jungkook scoffed.
“I would have preferred to be with you, rather than in meetings about borders.”
Jungkook opened his mouth, and Jimin thought he’d say that it had been fine.
“I… Yes, it was hard,” he admitted, surprising Jimin. “The way they were all looking at me, reminding me of what I’d done. And I missed you, of course. But in a way, that gave me time to… I don’t know, time to think? I talked to the others a lot. Especially Seokjin. It was… nice? Maybe. We fought less than usual.”
Jimin smiled. “It will take time.”
“Ugh,” Jungkook rolled his eyes, “Brothers, am I right?”
Jimin laughed. “Tell me about it, I have three of them.”
Jungkook leaned down to place a kiss against the corner of his mouth.
“All the more reason to enjoy the quiet a little.”
Jimin closed his eyes with a sigh. The thing between them bloomed, as it hadn’t been able to in a week, and he reveled in the shared emotions again.
“I missed you,” he said, placing a kiss on Jungkook’s mouth. It was barely a brush, and he chuckled when Jungkook kissed him back with more enthusiasm.
“Anything funny?” Jungkook’s voice had dropped, and his hands moved down to Jimin’s waist.
That almost made Jimin reconsider.
“I have accepted one night in the forest,” he said, holding strong when Jungkook leaned to kiss his neck. “The next time you’ll have me naked will be in a bed.”
“But the grass looks so soft,” Jungkook murmured, kissing his jaw.
“You won’t be the one with your back covered in mud.”
“That can be arranged.”
Jimin gently pushed him away, hands on Jungkook’s chest. He smiled at his mate’s annoyed expression.
“Once we’re back in Seorabeol, I’m not letting you leave my room until you get sick of me.”
“We better get some provisions then, because that won’t happen soon.”
Jungkook went for his mouth again and Jimin allowed it, moaning a little before he moved away.
He laughed when Jungkook audibly groaned.
“Besides, there’s something I much rather do first.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow and Jimin leaned into him, hands moving up his back to caress his wings.
“You know what.”
Jungkook sighed, and Jimin laughed again.
“You might not even like flying all that much. Perhaps it was a fluke. The thrill of the escape.”
“Stop stalling and turn around.”
“Of course. Anything for his Royal Highness.”
“Don’t pretend you don’t love it,” Jimin smiled. “I can feel your emotions.”
Jungkook kissed him one last time. “And there goes my credibility. All right then, if it pleases you.”
He turned around and put a knee to the ground.
With a large grin, Jimin wrapped his arms around his shoulders, careful of the wings. He yelped with joy when Jungkook stood up and secured his legs.
“You’re all right up there? How’s the weather?”
Jimin kissed Jungkook’s cheek. “I’m perfect. And I love you.”
He felt the bond stir just as much as he saw the cheek he’d just kissed turn red.
“No distractions please,” Jungkook said, “Unless you want to be naked in the air.”
“Wait, that’s a thing?” Jimin gasped. “We could…”
“And three!” Jungkook yelled. “Two! One!”
He shot up into the air, and Jimin laughed.