Chapter Text
༻☠️༺
There once was a prosperous country called the kingdom of the north sea. It was a beautiful piece of land, reigned by a gentle Omega king with a golden heart.
This blessed land had beautiful sceneries and bountiful harvests almost all year around. The people lived happily, poverty wasn't much of an issue. But then... their warm, peace loving king suddenly passed with no future heirs to his name.
Eventually, the king's younger Alpha brother took over and thus began a century of terror and destruction as the new king cared much more about his military power and his own lavish lifestyle than the well-being of those he was supposed to protect.
Slowly but surely, taxes were raised. While the once so beautiful kingdom drowned in poverty, the royal treasury was filling up. Omegas started flocking to the king's harem in hopes of securing their survival while those who weren't as fortunate died in the dirty streets or during childbirth when their Alpha didn't make enough money to bring home much needed food. Most Omegas weren't even allowed to work, not if it's anything other than raising children or selling their bodies. The king wouldn't allow it.
But even the hardest times shall pass eventually. Life always finds a way.
Years melted like broken ice in the sweltering summer heat.
People turned into thieves. They did it because they were poor, because they had mouths to feed, or maybe they had an undying wish to live. Everyone had a tragic story to tell, a heart wrenching tale. But Jeongguk… Jeongguk isn't one of them. He's born a thief, with a mind sharp as diamonds and a heart of gold. It's all he knows. He never tasted guilt nor regret.
His parents attempted to steal the precious royal treasure when he was only ten years old, planning to sell it in a neighboring village and give the money to other peasants, those who needed it most.
They had never been caught, not until then, but the king heard whispers about their plans and decided to lay a trap.
A week later, Jeongguk's parents were sentenced to death by beheading while he himself was thrown into prison, punished with manual labor for the rest of his short life. Every night, he would reach out to the mold infested ceiling and imagine the royal palace right above his head.
But even royalty can't stop the biggest thief of them all. Sickness stole the king's life long before the rats got a chance to feast on Jeongguk's malnourished body. His reign of terror was continued by his only son, Kim Namjoon, who, by all accounts, tried his best to mend the wounds inflicted on his people. Especially the less fortunate.
It was only one day after the coronation ceremony when his royal highness graced the prison with his glowing presence. He released the young, the innocent, most Omegas, too.
Jeongguk, with his eleven years, was among them, one of the lucky few. The guards dragged him out of his cell and forced him to kneel in front of the young king. Jeongguk spit at his face.
"Treason," someone screamed, and suddenly every arrow in the kingdom pointed at his bitter heart. They wanted to shoot him, he knew, because the copper smell of bloodlust is impossible to forget.
Just when they drew their bowstrings tight, the king stepped between them. He lifted a hand, yelling at his flinching men to stand back, then he turned to the young thief with a gentle smile.
"Why did you do that?" He asked, his voice echoing through the cold catacombs. Jungkook scowled and ducked his head before yelling as loud as his damaged lungs would allow, "I will never bow to the royals who killed my parents! So what if you release me?! I don't have a family to return to anyway! You took them from me! I will keep stealing until I end up in prison again. Nothing will ever change!"
Namjoon paused and scratched his head, then he sent the guards and onlookers away with hushed commands. He stepped closer, one hand reaching out. A plea for peace. Jeongguk ignored it with a panicked hiss. Still, the king wasn't deterred, if anything, his resolve only strengthened.
"Since it's my family's fault that you don't have a place to return to, it shall be my responsibility to give you a place to stay. I might even have some honest work for you if you're willing to follow my command."
Blinking in disbelief, Jeongguk shook his head. Impossible. Does he think him a fool? Even the lowest of the low know what royalty is like. They have you beaten for not bowing, for dirtying their clothes or disrespecting the crown. There must be a trap hidden between all the niceties, he knows it well. And yet... Why does his heart still waver? Why does he want to believe?
Jeongguk grabbed his chest, fighting hot tears of rage as he remembered the first time he ever felt regret.
"My parents might've been fooled by sweet words like those but not me. I learned from their mistakes."
That's what he said but staying true to his word turned out to be a challenge. In the middle of his proud vow, the world started spinning and his stomach clenched. God, he felt so sick. So weak. How long had it been since he last ate?
If he could just take a short break from life, how nice would it be...
The next time Jeongguk woke, he saw white. White pillows, white sheets, a white, translucent curtain separating him from the world. The bed they put him on hugged him like a mother's embrace, with pillows softer than any clothes he ever owned.
He lifted the curtain, his heart stumbling as his eyes took in a whole different world. If the bed was impressive, the room surrounding it was a million times more grand. Empty picture frames and mirrors covered the walls which had been painted in silver, red, and gold. Most of the furniture Jungkook knew only from sneaking peaks through shop windows. He couldn't imagine sitting on so much stuffing and padding, making him wonder if Royal asses bruised if they had to sit on wooden chairs.
A knock made him turn his head so fast, he could've sworn he heard his neck crack.
"Are you awake?" An unfamiliar voice. It didn't belong to the king and neither the nasty guards who made his prison life hell.
Jeongguk nodded until he realized the person wouldn't be able to see it. "Yes…" he mumbled, which prompted the stranger to excitedly rip the door open and pompously walk in.
He was just a boy, probably a little older than Jungkook himself. Brown, shaggy hair, a blinding smile. A long broadsword was fastened to the chocolate colored leather belt wrapper around his narrow hips. What stood out most, though, was his scent. He smelled cotton candy sweet.
"Don't you try anything funny, baby thief. I'm a future knight and the King's closest confidant! My name is Hoseok, what is yours?"
Jeongguk kept his mouth shut and glared. If they thought a room and a bed would make him forgive and forget, they must not know the pain of losing family. His rage did not fade, not one bit. Cold betrayal replaced the blood in his veins, the betrayal of those who could've done something, but didn't.
"Feeling feisty, I see," Hoseok sighed. "You better lose that attitude or they will throw you back into prison. I'm not trying to be mean, you know, I'm just saying you shouldn't throw your life in the gutter when you have a the chance of a lifetime right here."
"I don't need advice from a royal mutt."
Hoseok leaned against the golden door, eyes lingering on the young criminal. A frown twisted his brows.
"You don't know Joon. He's a good person and he will be a good king, too. I'm willing to risk my life for him, for our country's last hope. If you can't trust him, at least trust someone like me who spent the first half of his life begging on the streets because my parents had been executed before I could even run. I understand your anger, I really do, but I wish you would give Namjoon a chance."
Even if he wanted to, it wasn't so easy. Jeongguk's trust had been broken too many times and his battle scars still bled. Everything here reminded him of his mother and father, of the day their heads rolled in front of his feet. Nothing will ever change what he saw. And now... All he wanted was to punish those responsible for their suffering.
"It doesn't matter what I think of him, or who you used to be. You're one of them now. Everyone in this castle could get me executed in the blink of an eye and nobody would ever care. I'm an insect in your eyes, a life worth less than the pigs you raise to slaughter at the next feast."
"You wouldn't be here if that were true. Some people do care. Joon does, and I do too. You're not alone, not anymore and never again."
Despite knowing better, the words touched Jeongguk's heart. The child in him still begged for a hug, for someone to save him, and for something to believe. That must be why he eventually agreed to stay in this fancy room with floor to ceiling windows through which he could overlook the bustling town, from the rich center to the slums at the outskirts. The view made him feel like an angel or even a God. As if he was no longer part of this world.
He didn't leave the room once. Not because he couldn't but because he refused. It didn't matter either way because every few hours, servants brought food and drinks to his doorstep, asking him if there's anything else he needs.
He sneered at them, hissing that even if he told them what he desired, they wouldn't be able to fulfill his wish unless they could bring people back from the dead. The poor maids only replied with a curtsy and a pity-filled glance before they left.
Jungkook didn't realize it then but he must've looked feral at the time. Like a creature driven insane by pain.
And yet, that wasn't the end of it. Nobody tried to force him out of the palace or flogged him for his bad behavior, and on a bright Sunday morning, Jeongguk's stubborn resistance was challenged.
"His majesty wants you to come down and eat with our guests!" Hoseok burst into the room without even bothering to ask for permission. Jeongguk gave the knight in training a sour look, a book still in his hands, though Hoseok was quick to point out he held it upside down.
"You can't read?"
The question was met with another dark glare. Jeongguk slammed the book on the table, the chair he sat on almost falling over from the force of him standing.
"So what if I can't?! That doesn't mean I'm stupid!"
"I didn't say anything of the sort, kid. You're still young, it's not a big deal. I can teach you if you want."
Jeongguk took a step back, eyes flickering in confusion like two torches trying to fight the shadows.
"I- I don't want to learn from someone like you. And I don't want to eat with the royal asshole, either."
"Well, suit yourself." Hoseok shrugged. He was already half out of the door when he turned back, a smile on his face and fingers tapping against the wall as if it was an instrument and Jeongguk was his audience.
"You can watch us through the window. No pressure, but maybe you want to join next time."
Jeongguk didn't understand. Not until hours later when every piece fell into place, painting a bigger picture. He stood by the window, looking down at the flower gardens filled to the brim with people. Not just any people, but familiar faces. He saw old friends, former neighbors. They must've come all the way from the slums.
But why?
He watched them sit around the excessively long table set up between rows of black and red roses. Once they were seated, Hoseok marched into the garden, in front of Namjoon and they all lowered their heads as if this was their last supper.
Jeongguk turned stiff. What were they planning? Did they poison the food?!
Hoseok's claim to be the king's friend didn't seem to be an exaggeration because the latter smiled at his knight as soon as he was seated and quickly reached out to make him sit on an excessively padded white garden chair beside his own.
It's a strange and ridiculous scene. Jeongguk recognized his own suspicion in the eyes of his friends. Nobody dared to eat. But until the king took his first bite and encouraged them to do the same. After a pause, everyone frantically stuffed their mouths with whatever they could reach. Poison be damned, at least they would die with a full belly! Jeongguk knew that feeling. He, too, gave up on resisting the delicious palace food.
Jeongguk watched them eat like starving wolves until the king stood, asking about their troubles and worries, about what they thought he should do.
Jeongguk turned away. He couldn't bear it any longer. Even if he tried to act like a perfect king now, there's no way that he could keep up this facade forever. Sooner or later, things would go back to how they used to be, and the poor would be the ones to suffer.
Hope is too cruel of a punishment for people like him.
Or so he thought. However, with every new week, there was another banquet, another group of people who voiced their concerns and complaints, another hour or Namjoon listening to every single one of them.
After a month, Jeongguk left his golden cage. His legs shook as he snuck through the empty corridors and downstairs. His hands clung to pretty flower walls, flinching whenever the floor underneath his careful steps decided to squeak.
When he found the garden, he squinted, blinded by the setting sun.
Upon seeing him, Hoseok jumped up as if he saw a drowning man. However, it wasn't him who called his name. It was a different voice… a painfully familiar one.
"Gguk! You're alive!"
A small figure flew past Hoseok, arms stretched out, wrapping around Jeongguk's flinching frame. A familiar Omega scent caressed his nose, a smell so comforting and filled with love, he had a hard time resisting the urge to curl up in his warm embrace.
"T-Taehyungie…."
A sob followed his whimper, then he hugged his friend back. Taehyung cried and wailed, emotions thrashing wildly as they nuzzled each others necks, scenting each other like long lost brothers who reunited after years of being separated.
"You're a fucking dumbass! Why didn't you come to us after you got released?! I thought you got executed like your parents…"
"I didn't…" Jeongguk gasped, struggling to breathe and calm his racing heart. It only hit home now, how much he's given up on life. How he never even dared to hope that he could possibly see his friends again.
"Well, duh." Taehyung rolled his eyes. "I can see that, silly bunny."
"I know you don't have the money to feed another mouth and now I'm branded as a criminal on top of it." Jeongguk stared at his feet, ashamed and overwhelmed. "I don't want to get you guys in trouble."
"Stupid pup. None of that matters. You can always come home. Always. Your parents helped us all the time, why shouldn't we do the same? Besides… Things are looking up now. His majesty lowered the taxes and today he promised we will be able to go to school!"
The Omega paused and leaned away to observe Jeongguk's blotchy red, tear drenched face. His hands came up to squeeze his hollow cheeks, making both of them giggle.
"Come home, Gguk. Life has been hard on you but that's over now. You deserve to rest."
Hours later, the crowd dispersed as people went home and Jeongguk wandered into the royal study. Hoseok told him the king would be here, and he was right. With one hand buried in his hair, the other rolling a feather between his fingers he, King Namjoon the first, sat behind his huge oak wood table, a stack of papers leaning over him as if about to fall.
He must've been thinking hard. Hard enough to be unaware of the young thief's presence. Jeongguk closed the door and marched into the middle of the room where he fell to his knees, his forehead kissing the royal red carpet. Even the floors are soft, he thought full of wonder.
Namjoon's head shot up in an instant, concern etched into his youthful face. "Jeongguk…? What are you doing?"
"I don't know if you're serious about helping us, but once you start you can't go back on your word. Please… Sir, please protect my people. It might not seem like it to you, but we are human, too. Please, don't betray and forget about us like everyone else did."
He glanced through his tear drenched lashes, but the heavy wooden desk no longer stood between them. Namjoon was in front of him. He took Jeongguk's arms and helped him up, then he pulled the shaking child into his arms. Jeongguk tried to fight it but couldn't help giving in, sinking even deeper into the embrace. If he squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears, it almost felt like the kind of hug he would get from his mom. So warm and protective. The type of embrace you wish would never end.
"Why…" the young boy started sobbing. His fingers clawed into the back of Namjoon's shirt, nails piercing his skin, yet he didn't flinch. He only held Jeongguk tighter as words spilled from his mouth like bubble foam created by ocean waves, wild and intense but fragile and easy to burst nonetheless.
"Why couldn't you appear earlier….? Why couldn't you kill that asshole and take over before he killed my Mom and Dad…? Why… Your highness..."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, pup. I wish I could've done something but… my father scared me too, you know? Even if I found the courage to overthrow him at the time… I don't think I could've killed him despite everything he did. I'm not strong enough to be a murderer. I wish I could've been…"
It was at that moment when Jeongguk realized how different Namjoon was from their former King, how thoughtful and softly spoken. Too soft, probably, but that was something he could handle.
"No." He said, his body straightening with determination. "No… We don't need another murderer. I think you're good the way you are, Sir, but you can't let everyone run over you, either. I shall be a sword to strike the enemy in your stead. I will be the murderer you can't be. I'm willing to do whatever it takes if it means there can be a brighter future for people like me."