Chapter 1 - 1723 Meet and Greet
It was six in the morning. When the sun hasn’t yet risen it’s way all up into the persimmon sky. Jungkook looked up from his study, doe eyes traveling skywards. Staring into the canvas of orange, blue and pink hues in front of his window, the breeze brushed pass his rosy cheeks just same as how Soobin applies blossoms on the round skin of the prince’s cheeks.
Jungkook is an early bird, studying at this time of the day. Ordinarily, the tall omega awakes by the sound of animals outside. If he hears calls from those koels nearby, or chirps from the robins who sings at the edge of dawn never too far, he knows it’s time to tug those covers away.
Going back to his book, Sidereus Nuncius or as his mother calls it Starry Messenger published by Galileo over 100 years ago. Oh, the queen loves to observe the night sky. When he was 10, Jungkook’s mother used to sneak him out to her chambers around ten at almost nightfall to the balcony where she keeps her telescope, asking him to go fetch a paper and a goose feather pen for her.
And how Jungkook loves looking at the stars, he always took his drawing of what he saw in the telescope back onto his bed with him earnestly.
Yes, he loves his mother. And yes, he loves the stars too. He was so fascinated and it has been like that ever since.
He finally put down his pen, stretching his arms to the back of his backrest, he frowned at the pop of his lower back. Ah, the omega must’ve been sitting dead for almost four hours now. His haunch hurt and actually, he thought he had done a pretty decent job writing his notes this morning.
This should be enough.
Dragging his unmoving numb legs up, Jungkook carefully twisted the door knob. He peaked out, chocolate browns took glances left and right. Barons, nobles, no, people were scattered everywhere in the palace. He rolled his eyes, clearly dissatisfied. But that did not stop the tall omega from jumping onto the banister, instead of taking the stairs, Jungkook slid all the way down from the second floor, well, His floor to be more percise, his books all well-kept and dusted off everyday in his library, a huge bathroom where Soobin runs him a warm bath full of floating hyacinth and jasmine while it’s fragrance fluidly flowed in the air. He considers himself very lucky. All it took was one second or two, and he could finally see the symmetrical greek god art on the ceiling. Frame golden from the little twist of the metal towards the 324 silver ducats-painting to the big roll on the corner, it tells a story about when Persephone came back to Earth after marrying Hades in the underworld. Running into the arms of her mother, Demeter, the goddess of harvest, whilst flowers were blooming and spring was in the air. The slide took him down to the main floor, earning surprised gasps from nobles as if the little show the omega prince had just done was the most unappealing, ‘un-omegalike’ thing they had ever seen in their fifty, sixty years of living.
And Jungkook couldn’t give less of a fuck. He got off his father’s fancy dragon banister and bowed. Right then and there, he ran off to the apple orchard, calls chasing him like little flies.
Sprightly dashing towards the horse barn, the lively omega grabbed his floppy straw hat and a basket on top of the wooden boxes containing whatever. He rushed pass a clothes line, snatching one sheet of red-white Scottish cotton cloth. Jungkook lowered his overly wide brimmed hat to hide his eyes entering the apple orchard, fresh smell of morning dew hit his nose. Down the trails of soil and apple trees surrounding here and there, footsteps of the garden’s keeper and royal guards everywhere but they wouldn’t notice. They wouldn’t notice only if he didn’t-
“Good morning, Lieutenant Shin.” He said swiftly walking quicker than he usually does. “And good morning to you too, pretty little.. what- Jungkook?!” Ryujin went cross eyed bolting towards the prince.
Shin Ryujin, a younger alpha in the royal army who he had known way back when he was 6. Serving the royal family after her father’s retirement , she was still 17. ”Were you trying to flirt with the prince?” he jokingly said. “Well obviously I wouldn’t have known i was with that humongous hat you had on, your highness.”Jungkook snorted. Ryujin is feisty, no, that would be a faux considering how good she is on the battlefield. Let’s say she’s very straight forward, a little bold too but honestly, that is exactly what he likes most about her. Not only that, she’s also a great friend who he relies on a whole lot. There was one time when Ryujin and Jungkook were 9 and 10 respectively, she accidentally called him “Jungkook!” in a dine with both of their parents present. No honorifics, no prince, just his name which Jungkook doesn’t really mind, he found it funny if he’s honest. He likes being called by his name a tad more than ‘Your Majesty’ ‘Your highness’. ‘My prince’ his ass, where even is the flavor in that?
Ryujin’s father audibly gasped dropping the fork he was holding, almost fainting onto his watermelon and pineapple platter. The king and queen were a little surprised but laughed it off while Lieutenant Shin scolded his clueless daughter unendingly, Jungkook’s laugh echoing in the background.
“So, you’re not going back to the castle?” Jungkook, shrugging “Duh.” Ryujin raised her brows, face tilted lifting one arm exaggeratedly. “You’re fucking kidding!” Pointing at herself, she drew her index finger left and right on her throat rapidly. “No, father’s not going to decapitate you.” Jungkook replied, sly. “Well, then Commander Kim will probably give me a back slap and tell me to run fifteen times around the field.” Huffed and puffed, the alpha. “Tell him it was an order from the prince.” The mischievous future-monarch smirked. Ryujin, furrowing her brows, she eyed the omega and tsked.