Chapter Text
Winter had hardly let go of Acardia before the first flowers had sprung forth from the dirt in search for a sun that was slowly gaining in intensity. The days were getting longer, the nights shorter, and there was a certain quality to the air that pulled people outside their small houses and into the bright sun to enjoy the end of a long and harsh winter. Insects were starting to buzz about during the day and the birds had started singing too early in the morning for people to sleep in. Not that Soobin was able to catch much sleep anyway, as there was a restlessness to his body that he couldn't seem to shake off no matter how many hours he spent on the training field. He felt on edge all the time, tense as a bowstring, and unable to relax despite how exhausted he was and how nice and hot the steamy baths he had his manservant Daewhi draw for him were.
At the same time, it felt like all his senses had been enhanced somehow, magnified in a way that made the smallest, everyday things suddenly appear much more than what they were before. The only thing that had seemed to diminish somewhat was his ability to feel pain. His muscles were not as sore as before after a hard day's training, and he'd barely felt a slight cut he received during a sparring session the other day. Only natural changes Hoseok had explained once upon an anatomy lesson, long before Soobin had even presented as an alpha. Before he'd ever truly experienced the madness that was mating season. He'd watched, of course, and seen older knights grow tense and aggravated during springtime, but it had not been before late in puberty he'd begun to feel the tenseness himself. Knowing the reason why he felt like he felt, however, did not mean he felt it any less. He was still unable to relax, still constantly on edge and ready to snap at every moment. In fact, Soobin was pretty sure all of these symptoms had only increased in strength since the fiasco that was last year's mating tournament.
It was generally said that one's first mating tournament would not necessarily go well, but Soobin was pretty sure being enchanted and chosen by an omega who'd turned out to be a bitch instead, did not fall under that category. It was only thanks to Lia that he was alive, and she'd lorded it over him ever since. Soobin liked to point out that it was actually Yeji who'd sensed something was wrong, but that only made his sister go on a rant about how saving Soobin's sorry arse had cheated her out of his date with her mate, and that was a conversation he was rather tired of as it once again reminded him that he, too, had been cheated out of having a mate. And Lia had at least been able to shag Yeji the rest of the year anyway, whereas Soobin had been all alone, so really, she had nothing to complain about.
Soobin was maybe only a little bit bitter. And by that he meant a lot.
The day before the annual mating tournament was to commence, Soobin found himself outside in the street, practicing his knife-throwing skills to an audience consisting of a couple of his beta friends and a whole crowd of passers-by who'd stopped up to see their prince practice.
People had been arriving from all over the kingdom the last couple of days, and the sweet scent of omegas hung in the air everywhere like a forbidden promise, and there was this need to show off that he couldn't quench. In fact, he didn't want to quench it. And why should he? He was the crown prince, after all, and he was fairly sure you couldn't find a more desirable alpha than him. It was expected of him that he win the mating tournament as he'd done last year, and so he found himself engaging in a bit of moving target practice with his friends as his manservant who'd won the unfortunate honor of carrying the target. Soobin laughed his ass off, accompanied by his friends, as Daewhi ran around, trying to avoid being hit, and looking like an utter fool.
And then an unfamiliar voice stopped them.
"Really?" it said, full of disdain. "Is this how things are done in Acardia? Throwing knifes after people who can't even defend themselves?"
Soobin turned around to find the source of the voice and was met by the sight of a tall boy dressed in dull clothes and road dust.
"Do I know you?" Soobin asked, arching his perfectly shaped eyebrow. The boy was wearing a hood so he couldn’t exactly see his face clearly.
"I'm Kai," the boy said and reached out a hand for Soobin to shake.
Soobin looked from the boy's obscured face down to the outstretched hand, and then back up again. "You don't even know who you're talking to, do you?" he stated.
Kai let his hand fall back down, but didn't seem at all affronted. "I don't suppose it really matters, does it? All I'm seeing is a stuck-up noble alphas taunting a poor defenseless man, simply because he can."
Soobin let out a bark of laughter that was echoed by his friends behind him. "This is your first mating tournament, isn't it?" Soobin asked, taking a threatening step closer to Kai, shoulders squaring to intimidate. "I don't remember you from last year."
"It's my first, yes. And I must say, I'm kind of disappointed."
"Disappointed are you?" Soobin said, taking yet another step towards Kai. "Reality hasn't lived up to your expectations so far?" he asked.
"Can't say it has, no," he told Soobin frankly. "Already met too many people behaving like absolute prats."
Soobin laughed again. "I am sorry to burst your little bubble— Kai was it?"
"Yes."
"—But unlike in the poems and songs you've undoubtedly heard, the mating tournament is about the strong showing the weak who's allowed to mate and who isn't. Of course, if this is your first mating tournament, you can't be expected to know that. Allow me to put you in your correct place, then." There was a choir of laughter behind Soobin and he couldn't help but smirk dangerously.
"You think I'm weak," Kai stated, one eyebrow arched beneath his hood.
"Well, yeah," Soobin admitted, shrugging. "In fact. I think I could take you apart with only one blow."
Kai snorted, licking his lips before he answered. "Well… I guess it's my turn to burst your bubble, because I could take you apart with less than that."
Soobin's friends roared with laughter at that and Soobin wanted to echo the sentiment. The nerve of this boy. Once again, Soobin took a menacing step towards him, every inch of him ready to attack, just waiting to be let loose. "Care to test that?"
Apparently, he was, because he lifted his arm in a gesture that could have been a precedent for punch had Soobin not grabbed hold of Kai's arm and viciously twisted it behind his back, forcing him to bend forward to lessen the pain. Soobin breathed in, ready to take him down a peg when—
Heaven.
There, beneath the layers of travel dirt was a scent unlike any other Soobin had ever smelled. It was as if a little piece of heaven had manifested in front of him, delicious, promising, and absolutely mouth-watering in its nature. Soobin had never in his life experienced something like that. But the scent could only mean one thing.
Abruptly, he let go of Kai as if he'd been burned, taking a startled step back. "You're an omega," Soobin stated, faintly hearing the shocked murmurings of his friends as Kai turned around to level Soobin with a scowl, his hood fell open around his shoulders and he was rendered speechless again.
"Well, thank you, I hadn't noticed," Kai said, rolling his eyes, brushing off a bit of dirt from his clothes before looking at him straight in the eye and shit he might be the prettiest Omega he had ever seen in his life.
"I—" Soobin started, thrown by this new development. "My apologies. It was not well done of me. I should not have antagonized you."
Kai continued to glare at him, eyebrow arched pointedly. "But it was okay to have your servant act as a moving target? You're nothing but a wretched bully, picking on those you think are weaker than you."
"No— I was—" Soobin tried, wrong-footed.
Kai snorted. "And now you're trying to excuse yourself. Well done, alpha." The last word was spat out with a sneer, and Soobin felt like something had gone horribly wrong somewhere.
"Kai!" a familiar voice shouted from behind them, and Soobin and Kai simultaneously turned to see Sir Hoseok making his way towards them. "There you are."
"Sorry for running off on you, Sir Hoseok," Kai said with a wry smile before he nodded towards Soobin. "But I had to stop this bully."
Hoseok came to a halt in front of them. "Your Highness," he said to Soobin, bowing as respectfully as the situation allowed considering the laughter he was trying to hold in.
Kai, when Soobin dared look at him, looked like someone had just willfully shattered a mirror in front of him. His mouth was agape, open in shock and he gave Soobin a look of utter disbelief before turning to Hoseok, saying, "You can't be serious!" He gestured towards Soobin in a way most people would face a day in the stocks for. "This creature is an actual royal?!"
"I'm afraid so," Hoseok said, not bothering to hide his amusement anymore. And it was only his long-standing friendship with Soobin that saved him from a trip to the dungeons. "May I introduce you to His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Soobin of Acardia."
Kai looked Soobin up and down before saying, "I wish I could say it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, your Highness, but I'm afraid that would be a lie. And my mother has taught me not to lie."
Kai wasn't kidding when he'd said he could take Soobin apart with less than one blow. The words had stung in a way he wasn't used to, especially coming from somebody as good-smelling and good-looking as Kai. And especially in front of all of his friends. Soobin was supposed to win the mating tournament, he was supposed to be the alpha above all alphas, and the omegas were supposed to fall all over themselves for the chance to choose Soobin as their mate. And here there was this person, this omega with a smell unlike any other Soobin had ever smelled, so deliciously sweet and lovely and promising, and he was basically telling Soobin he was an undesirable mate.
"Look," Soobin tried, having the notion that he should at least try to save the conversation somewhat. "I am sorry about my behaviour. It won't happen again."
Kai seemed to regard him for a moment. Then he turned to Hoseok and said, "I really fear for the future of this kingdom. If this is how their crown prince acts, then I would not want to be a citizen in it."
Hoseok, proving right at that moment why he was Soobin's second-in-command, knew when and how to change the subject and said, "I suggest we head into the castle to get you settled in. I'm sure you're eager to have a bath and freshen up a bit before tonight's introduction feast."
For a moment, it seemed like Kai wanted to stay and argue, but eventually he sighed and shrugged. "You are right, Sir Hoseok. It has been a long journey and I'm tired. Even more so after this incident. Please take me to my rooms."
They went, but not before Hoseok shot Soobin a very curious yet amused look over his shoulder. And Soobin just knew he'd be hearing about this later. He knew.
His friends, correctly sensing Soobin's day had just plummeted, suggested they should pack up and go back to the castle. Soobin agreed with them.